The present investigation is an analysis to predict the kinematic behavior of a Lagrangian fluid particle and the associated enhancement in advection heat transfer in vortex dominated channel flows. The vortex systems considered are two and four parallel vortex filaments in different configurations, subjected to external translation and pulsation. Such vortex systems are typical of the kind generated by the vortex generators mounted on channel walls of fin-tube and fin-plate heat exchangers. The method of analysis is efficient in predicting the intensity of mixing in the flow field and provides a quantitative estimate of advection heat transfer due to different configurations of the vortex systems. The predictions are primarily based on an analytical approach and hence offer quantification of advection requiring reduced computational cost as compared to the actual numerical solutions of the flow and temperature fields. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.