{
  "abstract": "Lab-scale membrane distillation (MD) modules are commonly used for membrane characterization and developing empirical heat-transfer correlations. Entrance-induced flow structures can introduce geometry-specific effects into measured temperature polarization (TP) and heat transfer. However, the dependence of these effects on module geometry and flow condition remains unclear. We performed three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) over inlet Reynolds numbers of $\\Re_{\\mathrm{in}}=10$-$1000$, focusing on side-chamber length and main-channel height. We discovered that counter-rotating streamwise vortices formed near the main-channel entrance across all geometries, but their downstream persistence increased with $\\Re_{\\mathrm{in}}$. At lower $\\Re_{\\mathrm{in}}$, the vortices mostly decayed before mid-channel, while at higher $\\Re_{\\mathrm{in}}$ they persisted farther downstream and produced pronounced spatial variations in TP. Increasing side-chamber length reduced the secondary-flow kinetic energy entering the main channel, and generally strengthened TP, whereas increasing main-channel height reduced the bulk velocity and streamwise kinetic energy, resulting in a thicker thermal boundary layer and stronger TP. For most geometries, the deviation from the straight-channel baseline changed from stronger TP at lower $\\Re_{\\mathrm{in}}$ to weaker TP at higher $\\Re_{\\mathrm{in}}$. Entrance effects therefore vary in both magnitude and direction with operating condition and cannot be represented by a constant correction across the Reynolds-number range.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2610.20470",
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Soyoung Kim"
    },
    {
      "name": "Tiezheng Tong"
    },
    {
      "name": "Yinuo Noah Yao"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cmmc1f0w7fkck.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2610.20470",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "cmmc1f0w7fkck",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.20470",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "physics.flu-dyn"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2312|Membrane Separation Technologies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7222306013",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2610.20470",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-14",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cmmc1f0w7fkck.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:29:31Z",
      "native_id": "2610.20470",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.20470"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:physics.flu-dyn",
      "subfield": "fluid-dynamics"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Reynolds-number-dependent entrance bias in temperature polarization of lab-scale membrane distillation",
  "title_text": "Reynolds-number-dependent entrance bias in temperature polarization of lab-scale membrane distillation",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:29:31Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cmmc1f0w7fkck",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}