Cellular Automaton Methods for Heat and Mass Transfer Intensification

In this chapter, we will return to the local scale and present a fundamental approach for shape optimization. This numerical approach is based on the so-called cellular automaton (CA) algorithm, capable of treating a class of optimization problems that we encounter in heat and mass transfer. Two examples will be illustrated to demonstrate the procedure of CA approach: (1) how to organize a finite quantity of high conductivity material in order to efficiently drain heat from a heat generating surface to a sink and (2) how to optimize the shape of fluid path with a finite void volume that connects a source to one or several outlet ports, with the purpose of flow equidistribution and pressure drop minimization. The shape optimization by CA procedure generally leads to the creation of multi-scale arborescent geometries that commonly exist in nature, with consequently intensified heat and mass transfer