Bibliometric and Content Analysis of Artificial Intelligence Applications in Thermal Energy Systems: A Review of Scopus-Indexed Publications (2020–2025)

This study presents a bibliometric and content analysis of research publications indexed in Scopus between 2020 and 2025. focusing on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in thermal energy systems (TES). Using the search string TITLE-ABS-KEY ("artificial" AND "intelligence" AND "applications" AND "thermal" AND "energy" AND "systems"), a comprehensive dataset was collected and analysed. The results reveal a rapidly growing research trend, with annual publications increasing from 20 in 2020 to a peak of 121 in 2024. Engineering, energy, and computer science emerged as the dominant subject areas, while China. India, and the USA led global contributions. Most documents were original research articles (44.8%), followed by review papers (24.8%) and conference papers (17.6%). Author productivity and institutional analysis identified the Chinese Academy of Sciences. King Khalid University, and Intel Corporation among the leading contributors. The findings demonstrate an expanding interdisciplinary research landscape and highlight AFs vital role in optimizing thermal energy system performance and advancing sustainable energy solutions.