Research progress concerning enhancement of heat transfer by longitudinal vortex generators

A review on research progress concerning longitudinal vortex generators (LVG) reveals that past research work mainly focused on the heat transfer enhancement of gaseous medium by longitudinal vortex generators and only little attention had been paid to heat transfer enhancement of liquid mediums. A primary explanation on the formation of longitudinal vortex formation and the mechanism of its enhancing effect on heat transfer is being presented by making use of the Field Synergy Principle. With a summary of relevant research work, performed in this country as well as abroad, it is suggested that, as a first step forward, the optimal dimensions of LVGs should be researched and, in a succeeding step, enhancement of heat transfer in liquid filled narrow rectangular ducts should be studied; finally, taking water as the relevant medium, the influencing mechanism of LVGs on critical heat flux in slit shaped narrow rectangular ducts may be taken as the object of research.