{"title":"Experimental analysis and thermal topology optimization of brake disc under emergency braking","authors":"Yili Zhou, Ping Xu, Jie Xing, Shuguang Yao","doi":"10.1016/j.csite.2026.108105","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csite.2026.108105","url":null,"abstract":"Emergency braking exposes brake discs to intense, uneven thermal loads, threatening structural integrity and braking reliability. However, conventional rib configurations often lack sufficient thermal robustness, highlighting the need for structurally optimized designs that ensure thermal stability under extreme operating conditions. To address this, we propose a novel temperature-driven topology optimization framework that enables localized structural optimization based on experimentally validated thermal demands. This methodology is grounded in full-scale brake tests at initial speeds of 350 and 400 km/h, and a coupled numerical model was developed, demonstrating high agreement with experimental measurements. The results indicate that increasing braking speed exacerbates thermal shock, resulting in extreme temperatures and pronounced thermal gradients within the brake disc. The observed temperature field was partitioned into distinct thermal zones, which served as direct input for the proposed optimization strategy. Using the Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP) method, the rib structure was reconfigured to target these localized heat loads. The optimized disc (Disc P) achieves a 16.65% reduction in rib mass without sacrificing thermal performance, while Disc Z reduces the temperature difference by 66.58 °C and shrinks the hotspot area (>900 °C) by 16.70%. This work provides a new topology-driven design strategy for the development of advanced brake disc structures operating at higher speeds.","PeriodicalId":9658,"journal":{"name":"Case Studies in Thermal Engineering","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147752822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
P.F. Arroiabe, J. Berasategi, M. Larrañaga-Ezeiza, G. Vertiz, I. Galarza, M. Martinez-Agirre
{"title":"Influence of contact resistance on thermal behavior of pouch-cell battery modules under partial direct liquid cooling: A numerical study","authors":"P.F. Arroiabe, J. Berasategi, M. Larrañaga-Ezeiza, G. Vertiz, I. Galarza, M. Martinez-Agirre","doi":"10.1016/j.csite.2026.108098","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csite.2026.108098","url":null,"abstract":"Direct liquid cooling (DLC) using dielectric fluids is emerging as a highly effective strategy for thermal management in high-performance lithium-ion battery systems, particularly under demanding operating conditions. However, most existing thermal models neglect heat generation from passive components and electrical contact resistances, which can significantly affect prediction accuracy during fast charging and discharging. This work presents a validated 3D multi-scale numerical model of a pouch-cell battery module cooled via a partial immersion DLC approach. The module, composed of four 60 Ah cells in a 2s2p electrical configuration and in a 1s4p hydraulic arrangement, is modeled using a multi-domain framework that integrates electrochemical and thermal phenomena. All model input parameters were experimentally measured in our laboratory, ensuring high physical fidelity. Importantly, the model incorporates ohmic heating in passive components and heat generated by contact resistance, factors often overlooked in existing literature. Validation against experimental measurements demonstrates high accuracy in predicting both transient and steady-state temperature profiles, including spatial temperature distributions within and between cells. Results reveal that passive component heating can momentarily account for up to 46 % of total heat generation under high C-rate charge-discharge cycles, while contact resistance contributes up to 12 % during semi-fast charging. These findings highlight the critical need to include these sources in thermal models to ensure accurate predictions and support design improvements. The proposed approach offers valuable insights for enhancing thermal performance, reliability, and safety of pouch-cell battery modules in electric vehicle applications.","PeriodicalId":9658,"journal":{"name":"Case Studies in Thermal Engineering","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147752848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Transient simulation and influence analysis of the labyrinth seal clearance change in the secondary air system of aero-engines","authors":"Chuankai Liu, Zijun Li, Peng Liu, Yufei Wang, Yaoze Wang, Ang Gao, Shuiting Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.csite.2026.108071","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csite.2026.108071","url":null,"abstract":"The dynamic change regularities of labyrinth seal clearance directly affect the aerodynamic efficiency of the engine, the stability of rotor dynamics, and the safety margin of hot-end components. Existing dynamic labyrinth seal clearance simulations predominantly employ full three-dimensional or mixed-dimensional methods. Due to the substantial computational costs, the aforementioned research could only analyze a single subsystem of the engine under assumed boundary conditions, resulting in limited analytical accuracy and unclear dynamic change regularity of labyrinth seal clearance in an actual aero-engine environment. Thus, this paper proposes a one-dimensional transient secondary air system (SAS) thermal-fluid-structural coupling dynamic labyrinth clearance prediction model based on the transient thermal-fluid coupling network model and deformation calculation module. Experimental validation demonstrates that the proposed prediction model exhibits good prediction accuracy during transient processes (with a maximum relative error of 5.85%). On this basis, a primary and SAS coupled model for a typical civil twin-spool turbofan engine was established to investigate the clearance change regularities under typical flight cycles. The analysis results demonstrate that neglecting the dynamic changes in the labyrinth clearance can cause the bleed of the last stage of the high-pressure compressor flow path to deviate from the design value by as much as 72.8%. Meanwhile, the resulting high-pressure axial force and turbine inlet temperature deviations from design values by approximately 1209.7 daN (38.9%) and 6.7 K, respectively.","PeriodicalId":9658,"journal":{"name":"Case Studies in Thermal Engineering","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147752851","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yuping Hu, Rui Su, Xiaoqing Tian, Shiying Liu, Jian Sun, Jun Wang, Yong Cheng, Yong Hu
{"title":"Oil transport mechanisms in piston ring assembly: CFD analysis with consideration of ring motion and deformation","authors":"Yuping Hu, Rui Su, Xiaoqing Tian, Shiying Liu, Jian Sun, Jun Wang, Yong Cheng, Yong Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.csite.2026.108040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csite.2026.108040","url":null,"abstract":"The dynamic design of piston rings and cylinder liners critically influences engine performance, durability, and reliability. While experimental validation of blow-by gas and oil transport remains challenging due to high costs and limited visualization capabilities, numerical analysis has emerged as a robust alternative. This study investigates oil transport in the piston ring assembly using a fluid model driven by prescribed ring deformation and motion. A refined 2D CFD framework, incorporating piston ring dynamics, deformations, and localized mesh refinement, was developed and validated using a 4.5L diesel engine under rated conditions. Key findings reveal: (1) During ring flutter, intensified gas flow through the back clearance facilitates oil renewal, removing carbon deposits. (2) Ring collapse disrupts the oil wedge on the ring-liner interface, increasing oil stripping and degrading lubrication. (3) Ring twist enhances axial stability by promoting line contact with the liner and oil wedge formation at angular regions, improving run-in and lubrication. (4) Further analysis of a throttle-equipped diesel engine under low load demonstrates that in-cylinder negative pressure induces a 6.3% rise in oil accumulation during intake, directly linking throttling-induced vacuum to elevated oil consumption. This study establishes a fluid modeling methodology driven by prescribed deformation and motion of the piston ring assembly, aiming to optimize ring dynamic characteristics and address critical challenges in oil control and lubrication for advanced engine designs.","PeriodicalId":9658,"journal":{"name":"Case Studies in Thermal Engineering","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147681259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Heat Transfer Analysis in Nanostructured Thermal Barrier Coatings Using a Half Boundary Method Framework","authors":"Liaoning Wang, Cheng Qian, Muhammad Rashid","doi":"10.1016/j.csite.2026.107973","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csite.2026.107973","url":null,"abstract":"This study introduces a computational framework based on the Half-Boundary Method (HBM) for the analysis of steady, nonlinear heat transfer in nanostructured thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems relevant to gas turbine applications. The proposed method aims to precisely resolve temperature fields in multilayer coating-substrate setups while substantially reducing computational costs compared to traditional domain-based numerical techniques. To capture key thermal properties relevant to turbine operating conditions, we include temperature-dependent thermal conductivity and a thermally grown oxide (TGO) layer. The HBM framework is validated using a set of benchmark challenges encompassing continuous, discontinuous, and nonlinear heat-conduction scenarios, which are subsequently applied to a typical multilayer TBC–substrate arrangement under realistic thermal boundary conditions. The results show that they match finite element solutions quite well, with differences of less than 0.1% and quick convergence. The research underscores the utility of HBM as an effective numerical instrument for thermal analysis and initial design evaluation of coated turbine components, establishing a basis for future advancements in fully coupled thermo-mechanical deterioration modeling.","PeriodicalId":9658,"journal":{"name":"Case Studies in Thermal Engineering","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147681468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dongwoo Kang, Geonwoo Ko, Yubeen Yang, Sangjae Park, Yousang Son, Sungwook Park
{"title":"Flow enhancement strategies for reducing flow interference and improving in-cylinder flow in multi-cylinder GDI engines under low-speed low-temperature operating condition","authors":"Dongwoo Kang, Geonwoo Ko, Yubeen Yang, Sangjae Park, Yousang Son, Sungwook Park","doi":"10.1016/j.csite.2026.108017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csite.2026.108017","url":null,"abstract":"Gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines face challenges during low-temperature conditions, primarily due to high hydrocarbon and particulate emissions and unstable combustion. The objective of this work is to investigate in-cylinder flow variations for enhancing combustion stability in multi-cylinder GDI engines under low-temperature operation conditions. First, the analysis revealed that cylinder-to-cylinder flow variations arise from interference between the back flow of a preceding cylinder and the intake flow of the subsequent cylinder, with the extent of interference governed by the distance between firing-adjacent cylinders. Second, optimization of injection timing demonstrated that early injection at BTDC 300° effectively sustained tumble flow, leading to a 17% increase in TKE (turbulent kinetic energy) and a 7% reduction in wall film accumulation. Third, the introduction of an intake port tumble insert effectively suppressed flow structures that disrupt tumble development (counter-flow) while reinforcing those that sustain rotational structure (co-flow), thereby enhancing in-cylinder tumble flow. As a result, TKE increased by 32%, and wall film formation was reduced by 11%. Finally, modifying the firing order to eliminate long-distance cylinder pairs mitigated in-cylinder flow imbalances and improved the overall uniformity of tumble intensity. These findings highlight that appropriate design and operational strategies, such as injection strategy, tumble insert in intake port, and firing order adjustments, can substantially improve flow dynamics, mixture preparation, and ultimately, performance of low-speed low-temperature conditions in multi-cylinder GDI engines.","PeriodicalId":9658,"journal":{"name":"Case Studies in Thermal Engineering","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147681287","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Assessment of thermal uniformity in bottom freezer refrigerators through combined experimental measurements and transient CFD simulations","authors":"Gökhan Bozkula","doi":"10.1016/j.csite.2026.108041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csite.2026.108041","url":null,"abstract":"This study presents a comprehensive investigation aimed at improving thermal uniformity within the freezer compartment of a bottom-freezer domestic refrigerator by achieving a more homogeneous temperature distribution and reducing temperature variations among stored packaged items. Two different design configurations were developed and comparatively analyzed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations conducted in STAR-CCM+, under identical boundary conditions derived from experimental test data to ensure a reliable comparison, with the initial design serving as the reference case. The numerical results were validated through experimental measurements, showing a strong agreement between simulated and measured package temperatures, which confirms the accuracy of the simulation methodology. The optimized design demonstrated a significant enhancement in thermal uniformity, reducing the maximum temperature difference among the packages from 3.7 °C to 1.6 °C, thereby substantially improving the overall thermal performance and storage efficiency of the freezer compartment.","PeriodicalId":9658,"journal":{"name":"Case Studies in Thermal Engineering","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147681292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Numerical study on unsteady heat transfer characteristics of phase change plates optimized by fin structure","authors":"Shiyu Liao, Xiang Li, Jiri Zhou, Xiaoyan Yi, Ruiyong Mao, Hongwei Wu, Zujing Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.csite.2026.108042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csite.2026.108042","url":null,"abstract":"The energy crisis has heightened the importance of phase change energy storage technology as a key enabler for orderly energy transformation. However, the density variation of phase change materials during phase transition is often overlooked, leading to issues such as reduced heat transfer efficiency and local overheating. In previous studies, the inhibition effect of phase transition stratification has been found as an incidental result of thermal performance studies. There are few studies have systematically analyzed it. Therefore, in this study, the fin structure is studied by numerical simulation to mitigate the resulting stratification phenomenon. The results can reduce the thermal efficiency loss of the phase change plate and the risk of local overheating of the system. Specifically, the inhibitory effects of fin length, the number of transverse fins, and the presence of longitudinal fins on melting stratification are analyzed. The phase change plate melting rate is calculated as the total melting mass divided by the total melting time. The melting uniformity of the phase change plate was determined by the liquid phase component gradient. The temperature inhomogeneity coefficient is used to determine the air uniformity after passing through the phase change plate. The main results are as follows: (1) The plain phase change plate (without fins) showed an abrupt temperature rise followed by stabilization during melting, with a concurrent shift in its liquid fraction curve; (2) Increases in fin length, transverse fin number, and longitudinal fin number all improved the plate's melting rate and temperature uniformity, with maximum improvements of 10.86% and 293%, respectively; (3) The PCP of the optimized method 1 has better melting uniformity, but the initial cost is higher than that of the optimized method 2.","PeriodicalId":9658,"journal":{"name":"Case Studies in Thermal Engineering","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147681286","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Flow-field evolution and transient load characteristics during separation in an integrated solid rocket–ramjet combined nozzle","authors":"Shilin Yang, Wenyan Song, Jianru Wang, Yanfang Li, Kaibin Zheng, Nan Niu, Yongtao Zhao, Yuyan Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.csite.2026.108003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csite.2026.108003","url":null,"abstract":"This study addresses the transient separation of a combined nozzle in an integrated solid rocket ramjet (ISRR) subjected to strong coupling among structural displacement, compressible flow, and unsteady aerodynamic loading. An experimental–numerical coupled framework was developed. A two-dimensional axisymmetric model incorporating dynamic mesh techniques and fluid–structure interaction (FSI) was established and validated against ground-test measurements, with deviations in axial separation velocity and displacement maintained within ≤15.1%.The results indicate that the separation process follows a three-stage evolution pattern characterized by pressure attenuation, control response, and fluid–structure destabilization. At the instant of detachment, nozzle motion induces a localized choking phenomenon, generating a pressure perturbation with a peak magnitude of 0.783 MPa. These observations suggest that separation cannot be adequately described as a quasi-static pressure-difference-driven event. Instead, it arises from flow destabilization and structural reconfiguration governed by dynamically evolving boundary constraints. Furthermore, asymmetric pressure redistribution caused by internal–external flow interaction during the late separation stage is identified as the primary source of potential lateral loading. From a multiphysics dynamical perspective, this work reconstructs the theoretical framework of transient nozzle separation and provides mechanistic guidance for separation control optimization and high-fidelity simulation improvement.","PeriodicalId":9658,"journal":{"name":"Case Studies in Thermal Engineering","volume":"144 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147681288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Influence of structural defects in nanocubes on solar photothermal conversion","authors":"Shijiang Guo, Xinrong Zhang, Chen Xu, Jia Liu, Xiaohu Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.csite.2026.108028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csite.2026.108028","url":null,"abstract":"The structure of nanoparticles plays a crucial role in tuning optical properties due to flexible surface modification and geometry-dependent spectrum response. Previous studies show that introducing structural defects can enhance plasmonic absorption. Here, we investigate the effects of Au nanocubes and structural defects on optical and photothermal performance. Compared with Au nanospheres, nanocubes red-shift absorption into the near-infrared and support multiple plasmonic resonances, increasing absorption by 6.63% over 300-1500 nm and achieving a solar-weighted absorption fraction of 97.11%, much higher than 80.97% for nanospheres, highlighting their potential for solar applications. Corner defects induce a blue shift of the resonance peak, weaken the second resonance, and increase scattering, reducing near-infrared absorption and solar-weighted absorption to ∼93%. Mid-side defects exhibit higher structural tolerance, enabling multiple resonances, broadening the absorption bandwidth (300-1100 nm), and suppressing scattering, with solar-weighted absorption decreasing slightly to 95.74%–96.92%. Analysis of electric and magnetic fields and thermal power shows local defects enhance fields and excite multiple resonances but do not necessarily increase peak photothermal output, revealing a trade-off between local plasmon excitation and overall performance. This work provides guidance for structural design, defect engineering, and application of Au nanocubes in direct solar thermal absorption systems.","PeriodicalId":9658,"journal":{"name":"Case Studies in Thermal Engineering","volume":"68 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147681469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}