thermofluid

Thermofluid is an interdisciplinary field that combines thermodynamics and fluid mechanics to analyze the behavior of fluids under the influence of heat transfer. It studies how energy, momentum, and mass are exchanged in single- and multiphase flows, and it underpins the design of devices and processes that involve heating, cooling, and fluid transport.

The core framework includes conservation laws for mass, momentum, and energy, along with fluid properties such as density, viscosity, thermal conductivity, and specific heat. Equations of state relate these properties to temperature and pressure. Dimensionless numbers such as Reynolds, Prandtl, and Nusselt help characterize flow regimes and heat transfer behavior. Methods range from analytical solutions and laboratory experiments to numerical simulation, with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) employing finite-volume or finite-element approaches and various turbulence and multiphase models.

Applications span heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), power generation and energy systems, automotive and aerospace thermal management, chemical processing, and microfluidics. Common components and phenomena include heat exchangers, boilers, condensers, radiators, pumps, and turbines; as well as convection (natural and forced), conduction, radiation, and phase-change processes such as boiling and condensation.

The field emphasizes accurate prediction of temperatures, pressures, and flow fields while addressing challenges such as multiphase flows, complex geometries, non-Newtonian fluids, and scalable, energy-efficient designs. Thermofluid analysis is foundational in mechanical, chemical, and aerospace engineering and informs research in energy, climate, and technology development.