Plenary lectures

Energy plays a key role in the development of humanity and civilization. In the last 40 years China has adhered to the policy of reform and opening up and its social and economic development has grown rapidly with great progress in all fields. An important factor in this progress is energy security. However, due to the fact that China's major energy resource is coal, coal has supplied about 70% of the energy in China for a long time, which has brought about two serious challenges. First is the ecological environmental damage, especially serious atmospheric effects. The second is high carbon dioxide emissions. China has decided to transition to clean, efficient, safe low-carbon energy sources combined with prioritizing energy conservation. Thus, China is gradually increasing the renewable energy supply proportion, increasing the nuclear energy and natural gas proportions, implementing clean, efficient use of coal, and increasing research and development of advanced energy utilization technologies. In particular, China is focusing on the development of energy storage technologies, hydrogen energy technologies and smart grid technologies to achieve a smooth transition to a cleaner, more efficient energy supply system. This lecture will describe China's achievements in energy research and development since 2000 and the research and development layout towards 2030. New energy conservation methods and the development of renewable energy sources both require innovative research in heat transfer. We expect that this ancient and active area will make new contributions to the world’s energy transition.

This paper is an English excerpt of the Japanese book “Historical Development in the Thought of Thermal Science—Heat and Entropy” by Yoshitaka Yamamoto (first edition, Gendai-Sugakusha, Kyoto, 1986; revised edition, Chikumashobo, Tokyo, 2009). The subtitle “250 Years after James Watt and 200 Years after Sadi Carnot” was added to this excerpt by the translator, because the separate condenser for the steam engine was invented (patented) by Watt in 1769 and the historical paper “Réflexions sur la Puissance Motrice du Feu (Reflections on the Motive Power of Fire)” was published by Carnot in 1824. In the Fourier Lecture at IHTC-16, the translator presented one of the most important and interesting parts of Yamamotoʼs masterpiece, in which he thoroughly studied the development of thermal science in the seventeenth‒nineteenth centuries and shed light on its true nature. This excerpt comprises Chapters 18‒20, about one-tenth of the original book. In Chapter 18, Carnotʼs original problem setting of the motive power of heat is discussed in conjunction with Wattʼs pioneering work on the steam engine. In Chapters 19 and 20, the essence of Carnotʼs theory is described and its profound significance in physics is analyzed in detail.

Low grade thermal heat (from ambient temperature to 200oC) is widely available from factories, ground sources, the ambient, and also solar energy. The rational and economic choice of thermal energy conversion systems (heat to power/cooling/heating) can be determined from thermodynamic studies. Innovative or improved thermodynamic cycles can improve the efficiency; however, the thermal design of thermodynamic systems is critical. This lecture reports how low grade thermal heat can be converted into high grade thermal energy, cooling and power. The thermodynamic system design and the heat transfer processes are shown for various sorption based systems: adsorption, absorption and desiccant.

Typical examples are some novel thermodynamic designs like the mass recovery cycle for adsorption refrigeration, variable effect LiBr-water absorption refrigeration, highly inner heat recovery ammonia-water absorption refrigeration, and weakly coupled temperature & humidity control vapor compression systems. Meanwhile, various enhanced heat and mass transfer designs are also introduced, like a composite sorbent bed with expanded graphite, a desiccant coated heat exchanger, capillary assisted rising film evaporation, and heat pipes matched with sorption systems.

These concepts are based on the extensive research of heat powered cycles in Shanghai Jiao Tong University in the last 25 years. The study shows that we need to consider both the supply side (heat source) and the demand side (electricity, heating, cooling, or storage) to optimize solutions for the efficient use of low grade thermal energy.

The Nukiyama Memorial Award was established by the Heat Transfer Society of Japan in 2012 to commemorate the land-mark contributions by Shiro Nukiyama as an outstanding heat transfer scientist. Prof. Nukiyama addressed the challenges of the boiling phenomena and published an epoch-making paper, well known as the Nukiyama curve (boiling curve). The Nukiyama Memorial Award shall be bestowed to a scientist, preferably under 50 years of age, every two years in the field of Thermal Science and Engineering.