Advancements and Prospects of Hydrogel Sweat Cooling Technology in Multiphase Heat Transfer Applications: A Review

Abstract

Hydrogel sweat cooling is one of the leading areas in the study of multiphase heat transfer. In this study, the principles, applications, current research status, and future trends of hydrogel sweat cooling technology are comprehensively reviewed. By combing through and analyzing the relevant literature, the research progress in hydrogel sweat cooling is presented from the application perspective, including its use in electronic devices, buildings, and clean-energy facilities. The principle of each application is illustrated, the research status is established, and pros and cons are proposed. To provide inspiration for future research, the development trend is set out. Our literature review indicates that research on advanced hydrogels is the most promising research direction, including studies on the effect of environmental and indoor factors on sweat cooling performance through numerical, experimental, and theoretical means. Challenges for future research mainly include conducting hydrogel numerical analysis which can be experimentally verified, developing advanced hydrogels in a green way, and achieving the precise regulation of hydrogel control through intelligent methods. Interdisciplinary integration might be promising as well due to the fact that it can reveal the hydrogel sweat cooling mechanism from a different perspective. This study aims to promote multiphase cooling technology in exploring the application of hydrogels in energy utilization criteria.