Global Research Trends in Heat Transfer of Shell‐and‐Tube Heat Exchangers: A Bibliometric Analysis (2007–2025)

ABSTRACT Shell‐and‐tube heat exchangers (STHXs) are an essential part of power generation, chemical processing, and energy‐recovery applications, driven by the rapid expansion of industrial processes and global energy consumption. This study's objective is to present a thorough bibliometric evaluation of heat‐transfer research conducted in STHXs between 2007 and 2025, using data from the Scopus database and analysis with the Bibliometrix and VOSviewer tools. The novelty of this work lies in delivering an integrated, long‐term mapping of publication growth, citation dynamics, country‐level performance, influential authors, and evolving research themes within a single unified framework. With cumulative publications surpassing 3000, the results demonstrate a significant increase in annual publications from 9 in 2007 to 329 in 2025. With 885 publications, China leads the world in productivity, followed by India (379), Iran (347), and Greece, which has the highest citation‐per‐article index. Regression analysis of cumulative citations shows a high correlation coefficient ( R 2 = ≈0.96), with citation trends peaking at about 5600 citations annually between 2020 and 2022. Optimization algorithms, computational fluid dynamics modeling, nanofluids, phase‐change materials, and waste‐heat recovery are among the prominent and emerging themes identified by keyword clustering. This work is significant because it provides a clear global overview of the intellectual framework and development of STHX heat‐transfer research, guiding scholars and decision‐makers toward high‐impact areas and fostering further advancements in sustainable, energy‐efficient thermal systems.