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A Drag-Reduction Mechanism of Seagull-Inspired Curved Vortex Generators Integrating Response Surface Method and Genetic Algorithms Optimization in Compact Heat Exchangers

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  • Zhihui Wang

    (School of Energy and Building Environment, Guilin University of Aerospace Technology, Guilin 541004, China
    Engineering Research Center of Green Upgrade Key Technology for Energy Industry, Guilin University of Aerospace Technology, Guilin 541004, China)

  • Xuguang Yang

    (School of Energy and Building Environment, Guilin University of Aerospace Technology, Guilin 541004, China
    Engineering Research Center of Green Upgrade Key Technology for Energy Industry, Guilin University of Aerospace Technology, Guilin 541004, China)

  • Xiaohua Gu

    (School of Energy and Building Environment, Guilin University of Aerospace Technology, Guilin 541004, China
    Engineering Research Center of Green Upgrade Key Technology for Energy Industry, Guilin University of Aerospace Technology, Guilin 541004, China
    State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 200051, China)

  • Yan Liu

    (School of Energy and Building Environment, Guilin University of Aerospace Technology, Guilin 541004, China
    Engineering Research Center of Green Upgrade Key Technology for Energy Industry, Guilin University of Aerospace Technology, Guilin 541004, China)

Abstract

The vortex generator is extensively utilized to enhance the air-side flow and heat transfer in compact heat exchangers, attributed to its high efficiency and low friction factor. This paper contains an innovative design of biomimetic vortex generators (BVGs), characterized by a distinct variable curvature and orientation. The curvatures and orientations, serving as key parameters for this innovative design, were collaboratively optimized using a combination of the response surface method and the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II, while the friction factor and Colburn factor serve as objective functions. The research findings indicate that the use of BVGs significantly reduces the friction factor, and the optimal curvature parameters for various orientations have been determined. The enhanced heat transfer mechanism associated with BVGs is attributed to their capacity to generate multiple longitudinal vortex structures downstream, with analogous secondary flow structures forming across different orientations. A comprehensive evaluation metric reveals that BVGs achieve an improvement exceeding 50% in performance compared to other high-performance vortex generators. These findings introduce an entirely novel configuration for vortex generators, which is anticipated to significantly advance the development of flow and heat transfer enhancement in compact heat exchangers.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhihui Wang & Xuguang Yang & Xiaohua Gu & Yan Liu, 2025. "A Drag-Reduction Mechanism of Seagull-Inspired Curved Vortex Generators Integrating Response Surface Method and Genetic Algorithms Optimization in Compact Heat Exchangers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-24, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:16:p:4281-:d:1722385
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rishikesh Sharma & Dipti Prasad Mishra & Marek Wasilewski & Lakhbir Singh Brar, 2023. "Application of Response Surface Methodology and Artificial Neural Network to Optimize the Curved Trapezoidal Winglet Geometry for Enhancing the Performance of a Fin-and-Tube Heat Exchanger," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-30, May.
    2. Yidie Luo & Gongli Li & Nick S. Bennett & Zhen Luo & Adnan Munir & Mohammad S. Islam, 2025. "Heat Transfer Enhancement in Heat Exchangers by Longitudinal Vortex Generators: A Review of Numerical and Experimental Approaches," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-49, May.
    3. Lin Liu & Zhichun Ni & Haoyuan Tang & Hui Xu & Bingyun Jiang, 2025. "Heat Transfer Performance and Flow Characteristics of a Heat Exchange Tube with Isosceles Trapezoidal Winglet Longitudinal Vortex Generators," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-22, March.
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