Global energy agencies and commissions report a sharp increase in energy demand based on commercial, industrial, and residential activities. At this point, we need energy-efficient and high-performance systems to maintain a sustainable environment. More than 30% of the generated electricity has been consumed by HVAC-R units, and heat exchangers are the main components affecting the overall performance. This study combines experimental measurements, numerical investigations, and ANN-aided optimization studies to determine the optimal operating conditions of an industrial shell and tube heat exchanger system. The cold/hot stream temperature level is varied between 10 ℃ and 50 ℃ during the experiments and numerical investigations. Furthermore, the flow rates are altered in a range of 50–500 L/h to investigate the thermal and hydraulic performance under laminar and turbulent regime conditions. The experimental and numerical results indicate that U-tube bundles dominantly affect the total pumping power; therefore, the energy consumption experienced at the cold side is about ten times greater the one at the hot side. Once the required data sets are gathered via the experiments and numerical investigations, ANN-aided stochastic optimization algorithms detected the C10H50 scenario as the optimal operating case when the cold and hot stream flow rates are at 100 L/h and 500 L/h, respectively.

Paraffin wax is the most common phase change material (PCM) that has been broadly studied, leading to a reliable optimal for thermal energy storage in solar energy applications. The main advantages of paraffin are its high latent heat of fusion and low melting point that appropriate solar thermal energy application. In addition to its accessibility, ease of use, and ability to be stored at room temperature for extended periods of time, Nevertheless, improving its low thermal conductivity is still a big, noticeable challenge in recently published work. In this work, the effect of adding nano-Cu₂O, nano-Al₂O₃ and hybrid nano-Cu₂O-Al₂O₃ (1:1) at different mass concentrations (1, 3, and 5 wt%) on the thermal characteristics of paraffin wax is investigated. The measured results showed that the peak values of thermal conductivity and diffusivity are achieved at a wight concentration of 3% when nano-Cu₂O and nano-Al₂O₃ are added to paraffin wax with significant superiority for nano-Cu₂O. While both of those thermal properties are negatively affected by increasing the concentration beyond this value. The results also showed the excellence of the proposed hybrid nanoparticles compared to nano-Cu₂O and nano-Al₂O₃ as they achieve the highest values of thermal conductivity and diffusivity at a weight concentration of 5.0 wt%.

This investigation derives formulas to predict the mixed convective surface conductance of a flat isotropic surface roughness having a convex perimeter in a Newtonian fluid with a steady forced flow in the plane of that roughness. Heat transfer measurements of a 30.5 cm square rough plate with forced air velocities between 0.1 m/s and 2.5 m/s were made by the present apparatus in two inclined and all five orthogonal orientations. The present work’s formulas are compared with 104 measurements in twelve data-sets. The twelve data-sets have root-mean-square relative error (RMSRE) values between 1.3% and 4% relative to the present theory. The present work’sformulas are also compared with 78 measurements in 28 data-sets on five vertical rough surfaces in horizontal flow from prior work. The five stucco data-sets have RMSRE values between 2.5% and 6.5%; the other data-sets have RMSRE values between 0.2% and 5%. 

Hybrid nanofluids have several potential applications in various industries, including electronics cooling, automotive cooling systems, aerospace engineering, and biomedical applications. The primary goal of the study is to provide more information about the characteristics of a steady and incompressible stream of a hybrid nanofluid flowing over a thin, inclined needle. This fluid consists of two types of nanoparticles: non-magnetic nanoparticles (aluminium oxide) and magnetic nanoparticles (ferrous oxide). The base fluid for this nanofluid is a mixture of water and ethylene glycol in a 50:50 ratio. The effects of inclined magnetic fields and joule heating on the hybrid nanofluid flow are considered. The Runge-Kutta fourth-order method is used to numerically solve the partial differential equations and governing equations, which are then converted into ordinary differential equations using similarity transformations. Natural convection refers to the fluid flow that arises due to buoyancy forces caused by temperature differences in a fluid. In the context of an inclined needle, the shape and orientation of the needle have significantly affected the flow patterns and heat transfer characteristics of the nanofluid. These analyses protest that raising the magnetic parameter results in an increase in the hybrid nanofluid thermal profile under slip circumstances. Utilizing the potential of hybrid nanofluids in a variety of technical applications, such as energy systems, biomedicine, and thermal management, requires an understanding of and ability to manipulate these effects.