Direct Contact Heat Transfer in Multiphase Systems

Direct contact heat transfer in multiphase systems involves the exchange of thermal energy between immiscible or partially miscible phases through direct interfacial contact rather than across a solid barrier. This approach offers exceptionally high heat transfer coefficients, making it attractive for applications such as waste heat recovery, desalination by membrane distillation, cryogenic liquefaction, and chemical process intensification. Key mechanisms include droplet evaporation, bubble condensation and growth, and thin‐film formation at dynamic interfaces. Recent advances in high‐resolution imaging, microfluidic reactor design and computational modelling have shed light on the spatio‐temporal evolution of phase interfaces, enabling more accurate prediction of heat and mass transport. Challenges remain in quantifying unsteady interfacial phenomena, capturing non‐equilibrium phase transitions at microscales and integrating multiphysics fields spanning fluid dynamics, thermodynamics and surface chemistry. By combining experimental validation with machine‐learning‐driven optimisation, researchers are charting pathways towards more efficient and compact heat‐exchange systems that address global imperatives for energy efficiency and sustainable process design.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have employed lattice‐Boltzmann and direct numerical simulations to resolve microscale heat flux distributions during droplet–vapour mixing on engineered surfaces, reporting up to 30 % enhancement in overall heat transfer by tailoring surface wettability patterns. Another investigation utilised ultrafast synchrotron imaging coupled with data‐driven reconstruction to characterise transient bubble growth and collapse in molten metals, leading to refined non‐equilibrium phase transition models that improve predictive capability for high‐temperature applications. A further development introduced a modular microfluidic reactor for direct steam–liquid contact, integrating structured packing and real‐time thermal control to achieve heat recovery efficiencies exceeding 90 % in pilot‐scale trials, demonstrating the potential for scale‐up in industrial heat integration schemes.

Direct Contact Heat Transfer in Multiphase Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in direct contact heat transfer in multiphase systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Direct contact heat transfer: Thermal energy exchange between two fluid phases in direct physical contact, without an intervening solid wall.

Interfacial area: The surface area of contact between two phases through which heat and mass transfer occur.

Non-equilibrium phase transition: Phase change process in which temperature and pressure vary dynamically, preventing local thermodynamic equilibrium at the interface.

Bubble dynamics: The study of formation, growth, motion and collapse of gas bubbles within a liquid phase, and its impact on heat and mass transfer.

References

1. A Review of Quantitative Characterization of Phase Interface Dynamics and Optimization of Heat Transfer Modeling in Direct Contact Heat Transfer. Energies (2025).