Improvement of Constructal Optimization for “Volume-Point” Heat Conduction Based on Uniformity Principle of Temperature Difference Fields

Abstract

The uniformity principle of temperature difference fields (TDFs) is applied in this study to improve the constructal optimization for “volume-point” heat conduction based on entransy dissipation rate (EDR) minimization without the premise of an optimal last-order construct, and the constructal optimization algorithm based on EDR minimization is simplified in this paper. The results further prove that the uniformity principle of TDF is consistent with entransy theory. The constructal optimization of “volume-point” heat conduction based on EDR minimization is conducted not only to lower the average temperature but also to obtain a more uniform TDF distribution. Through comparing the optimal results based on EDR minimization without the premise of an optimal last-order construct with those based on maximum temperature difference (MTD) minimization, some criteria and formulas for designing conductivity paths based on EDR minimization and MTD minimization are proposed, and the idea and method of improving constructal optimization via the variational principle are proposed.

Keywords

• constructal theory
• uniformity principle of temperature difference field
• entransy theory
• ‘volume-point’ heat conduction
• generalized thermodynamic optimization