Short answer: one 2026 numerical optimization study found its eel-inspired bionic corrugated fin performed better than that study’s traditional corrugated fin on two reported measures: heat-transfer performance was 4.7% higher and the resistance coefficient was 6.1% lower. That is not a universal result, nor a direct comparison of bionic, conventional corrugated and plain fins in one test. Separate simulations offer context for corrugated fins versus a baseline, but the studies use different exchanger geometries and conditions.
What the comparison can—and cannot—show
The available results answer two different questions. Yu et al.’s 2026 paper compares an optimized, eel-inspired bionic corrugated plate-fin with a traditional corrugated fin using numerical modeling and multi-objective optimization. A 2016 simulation examines a corrugated fin-and-tube exchanger against its own baseline case. Because those are separate studies, their percentages should not be combined or used to rank bionic, conventional corrugated and plain fins against one another.
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In particular, the 2016 baseline is not established here as a plain-fin design. The evidence therefore does not provide a controlled, three-way bionic-versus-corrugated-versus-plain comparison.
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Bionic versus conventional corrugated fins
Yu et al. describe an eel-inspired bionic corrugated plate-fin and use an extreme learning machine surrogate with NSGA-III multi-objective optimization. Against the paper’s traditional corrugated-fin comparator, the abstract reports 4.7% enhancement in heat-transfer performance and a 6.1% decrease in the resistance coefficient. These are modeled, study-specific findings, not measurements showing that every bionic fin will outperform every conventional design.
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The article was published online in Scientific Reports on 4 October 2026 as an accepted early version, which the publisher says may be revised before the final version of record. Its abstract notes: “The structural characteristics of the fins determine the performance of heat exchanger.” That is a useful framing for the result: performance depends on the particular fin and exchanger, not on the label “bionic” alone.
What corrugation may change relative to a baseline
A 2016 numerical study modeled an in-line tube arrangement in a corrugated fin-and-tube compact heat exchanger. At Reynolds numbers of 400–800, based on tube-collar diameter, and frontal air velocities of 0.35–0.72 m/s, it reported an average Nusselt number 7.05–10.0% higher and calculated pressure loss 5.0–6.2% lower than its baseline case. The authors connect the corrugated profile with changes in mixing, wake and separation behavior.
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- Convenient Installation: The ports are standard FNPT threads, 3/4 "FNPT tube (Tank side/Cold water) and 1 "FNPT Shell (Water heater side/Hot water), the threads are deep and clear, and the installation is faster.
- Thermo-siphon Circulation:Compared to conventional ones, our side arm heat exchangers are designed to circulate using the natural thermo-siphon principle on the domestic hot water side, which saves on pumps and associated electricity costs; on this basis it only takes 3.8houres to heat a 60Gal tank.
- Wide application:Our heat exchangers have a small, space-saving design and slim shape . Widely used in hot water tanks, domestic hot water heating, outdoor wood furnace, solar hot water heating and residential plumbing.
Those figures apply to that modeled exchanger and its baseline—not to plain fins generally, and not as a head-to-head comparison with the 2026 bionic design. Nusselt number, heat-transfer performance, resistance coefficient and pressure loss are related performance measures, but values from different studies and geometries are not interchangeable.
Why rankings depend on the application
Heat transfer is only one part of exchanger performance. Air-side pressure drop or flow resistance matters too: a design that transfers more heat may demand more effort to move air through it. The studies summarized here report favorable changes on both of their respective measures, but they use different comparators and methods, so that does not establish a general rule that corrugation—or biomimicry—reduces resistance.
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Other fin studies reinforce the need for caution. An experimental comparison of plain, perforated and louvred fins reports trade-offs between heat-transfer rate and pressure drop. A separate experimental fin-and-tube study of corrugated louver fins on a wet surface reports rankings that differ from dry-surface findings. The fin pattern, exchanger arrangement, operating conditions and whether the surface is wet or dry can all affect the result.
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How to use the findings when choosing a design
- For an early design comparison: treat the 2026 bionic-fin result as evidence that an optimized eel-inspired geometry can improve the modeled study’s heat-transfer and resistance measures relative to its traditional corrugated comparator.
- For a plain-fin decision: do not infer a winner from these figures. The sources do not establish a controlled comparison of the bionic design, conventional corrugated fins and plain fins under shared conditions.
- For a real exchanger: compare candidate designs using the same exchanger layout, airflow, operating range and wet or dry conditions, and consider both heat transfer and pressure drop.
- For procurement or deployment: the cited numerical optimization does not establish manufacturing readiness, field performance, durability, cost or commercial availability of the studied bionic fin.
Study details at a glance
| Study | Comparison and method | Reported result | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yu et al., Scientific Reports, published online 4 October 2026 | Optimized eel-inspired bionic corrugated plate-fin versus a traditional corrugated fin; numerical optimization using an extreme learning machine surrogate and NSGA-III | 4.7% enhancement in heat-transfer performance; 6.1% decrease in resistance coefficient | Study-specific modeled comparison; accepted early version subject to possible revision |
| Jurnal Teknologi, published 4 October 2016 | Corrugated fin-and-tube compact exchanger versus the study’s baseline; numerical simulation | 7.05–10.0% increase in average Nusselt number; 5.0–6.2% decrease in calculated pressure loss | In-line tube layout; Reynolds numbers 400–800 based on tube-collar diameter; frontal air velocity 0.35–0.72 m/s |
Sources
- Yu et al., “Numerical and multi-objective optimal design of bionic corrugated plate-fins heat exchangers by extreme learning machine algorithm,” Scientific Reports.
- “Investigation on heat transfer enhancement in a corrugated fin-and-tube compact heat exchanger,” Jurnal Teknologi.
- “Heat Transfer Enhancement by Perforated and Louvred Fin Heat Exchangers,” Energies.
- Nae-Hyun Kim, “An experimental investigation on the airside performance of fin-and-tube heat exchangers having corrugated louver fins – Part II; wet surface,” Journal of Thermal Science and Technology.
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