ORCID

5669817

Keywords

Steam Generation, Heat Transfer, Boiling, TPMS, Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces.

Abstract

Industrial heating processes account for nearly 28\% of global CO2 emissions, and fossil fueled boilers predominate in high temperature applications. Industrial electrification can be an effective solution when combined with renewable energy sources. Increasing steam generation efficiency and at the same time maintaining system compactness is a significant challenge in industrial thermal processes. Traditional smooth pipes offer limited heat transfer surface area, which constrains boiling heat transfer performance and reduces the overall efficiency of steam generation systems. Advanced internal geometries have the potential to significantly enhance heat transfer by increasing surface area and promoting fluid mixing. This work presents a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) investigation of heat transfer enhancement in pipes incorporating triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structures, specifically gyroid geometries, for industrial steam generation applications. CFD simulations are performed to analyze fluid flow behavior and heat transfer characteristics within electrically heated pipes. The gyroid TPMS structure provides a highly interconnected geometry that increases the effective heat transfer surface area while promoting turbulence and improved mixing of the working fluid. The gyroid geometry achieved Nusselt number enhancement ratios of 4.5 to 5.5 relative to the smooth pipe baseline across both heat flux conditions investigated. The results demonstrate the efficiency and precise controllability provided by electric heating systems and their potential to improve thermal performance while reducing emissions. Furthermore, the findings highlight the potential of TPMS enhanced pipes to achieve high-performance, compact, and efficient steam generation systems suitable for industrial applications.

Completion Date

2026

Semester

Spring

Committee Chair

Jayanta Kapat

Degree

Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering (M.S.A.E.)

College

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Department

MAE

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Identifier

DP0053263

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