Coupled fluid-solid thermal interaction modeling for efficient transient simulation of biphasic water-steam energy systems

This paper proposes a fluid-solid coupled finite element formulation for the transient simulation of water-steam energy systems with phase change due to boiling and condensation. As it is commonly assumed in the study of thermal systems, the transient effects considered are exclusively originated by heat transfer processes. A homogeneous mixture model is adopted for the analysis of biphasic flow, resulting in a nonlinear transient advection-diffusion-reaction energy equation and an integral form for mass conservation in the fluid, coupled to the linear transient heat conduction equation for the solid. The conservation equations are approximated applying a stabilized Petrov-Galerkin FEM formulation, providing a set of coupled nonlinear equations for mass and energy conservation. This numerical model, combined with experimental heat transfer coefficients, provides a comprehensive simulation tool for the coupled analysis of boiling and condensation processes. For the treatment of enthalpy discontinuities traveling with the flow, a novel explicit-implicit time integration method based on Crank-Nicolson scheme is proposed, analyzing its accuracy and stability properties. To reduce problem size and enhance numerical efficiency, a modal superposition method with balanced truncation is applied to the solid equations. Finally, different example problems are solved to demonstrate the capabilities, flexibility and accuracy of the proposed formulation.     

Mathematical modeling of a reverse-process in a multibed catalytic reactor

An effective algorithm is presented for mathematical modeling of unsteady-state processes of heat and mass transfer in a multibed catalytic reactor that operates at periodic changes of the direction of the flow of an inlet gas.     

Numerical study of a mathematical model of a catalytic fuel processor with cocurrent oxidation and conversion flows

The results are presented of the numerical study of a mathematical model in the form of a nonlinear boundary value problem describing the stationary regimes in a catalytic fuel processor. We study a two-dimensional model for the endoblock, with the longitudinal heat and mass transfer by the gas and the transversal heat conductivity along the catalyst in the two-temperature approximation. For the exochannel, a model is considered with the longitudinal heat and mass transfer by the gas flow and the longitudinal heat transfer along the catalytic wall. These two blocks are related to each other through the equality of the temperature and heat flux on the boundary. The results obtained are in good agreement with experimental data.     

Adjoint based topology optimization of conjugate heat transfer systems

This paper presents a topology optimization method for coupled thermal problems. Heat transfer linked with the forced convection flow inside cooling channels is investigated using a conjugate model. This model includes both the full Navier-Stokes equations for the fluid medium and the energy equations for both fluid and solid. In this present work, the adjoint method is extended to such conjugate heat transfer (CHT) systems to optimize their performance by the use of gradient based methods. This performance is usually a compromise between an increase in heat flux or temperature distribution at a surface and maintaining a low pressure loss within the system. To exemplify the method a uniform temperature distribution is chosen and evaluated numerically. For implementation the open source CFD Software OpenFOAM is used. (© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Transient Bernoulli flow in multi-port fluid devices with arbitrary geometry

We present a method for the solution of transient flow in a multi-port fluid device with arbitrary geometry. The method is applicable to fluid devices where the fluid motion is primarily inviscid throughout the volume, but locally near a device port some accommodation to viscous flow is introduced. The internal flow is characterized by an array of purely geometrical factors between ports, essentially a set of generalized impedances; the state variables elicited are the average volume flow rates through the device ports. The method creates a set of coupled non-linear time-dependent ordinary differential equations. The solution to this set of equations is much faster, typically by orders of magnitude, than a single run of a transient CFD model. We demonstrate our method with a simple example; we show that the results of the method agree well with a full CFD calculation.     

Effects of Reynolds and Prandtl number on mixed convection in a ventilated cavity with a heat-generating solid circular block

A numerical study has been executed to analyze the effects of Reynolds and Prandtl number on mixed convective flow and heat transfer characteristics inside a ventilated cavity in presence of a heat-generating solid circular obstacle placed at the center. The inlet opening is at the bottom of the left wall, while the outlet one is at the top of the right wall and all the walls of the cavity are considered to be adiabatic. Galerkin weighted residual finite element method is used to solve the governing equations of mass, momentum and energy. Results are presented in terms of streamlines, isotherms, the average Nusselt number, the Drag force and the average fluid temperature in the cavity for different combinations of controlling parameters namely, Reynolds number, Prandtl number and Richardson number. The results indicate that the flow and thermal fields as well as the heat transfer rate, the Drag force and the average fluid temperature in the cavity depend significantly on the mentioned parameters.     

A comparative study of the steady state and the transient liquid crystal technique for determining the heat transfer coefficients in a bend

For the investigation of internal and external heat transfer thermochromic liquid crystals (TLC's) have become a very commonly used tool. Today, mainly two different experimental methods with TLC's are in use: The steady state TLC method measuring the wall temperature according to a constant heat flux produced by a heater foil and the transient TLC method measuring the time response of the wall temperature due to a sudden change of the fluid temperature. In the present paper the two different measurement techniques are compared for a very complex 3D flow inside a 180°‐turn of a two‐pass cooling system. From theoretical considerations, the general difference in the heat transfer because of the different wall boundary conditions is shown.     

Parametric study of simultaneous transient conduction and radiation in a two-dimensional participating medium

The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) has been used to solve the energy equation of a transient conduction–radiation heat transfer problem in a two dimensional Cartesian enclosure filled with an emitting, absorbing and scattering media. The control volume finite element method (CVFEM) is used to obtain the radiative information. Based on this new nonlinear hybrid algorithm, the effects of various influencing parameters on the transient thermal response such as the scattering albedo, the conduction–radiation parameter, and the wall emissivity are studied on the distributions of temperature, radiative heat fluxes. Numerical results are presented as compared with other published works and they are found to be in satisfactory agreement. The advantages of the proposed numerical approach include, among others, simple implementation on a computer, accurate CPU time and capability of stable simulation. Therfore, the method can capture fundamental behaviours in thermal flows of engineering interest, in addition it will have computaional advantages when the geometry is more complex.     

Modeling of thermal phenomena in single laser beam and laser-arc hybrid welding processes using projection method

This paper concerns mathematical and numerical modeling of thermal phenomena accompanying single laser and laser-arc hybrid butt welding of steel sheets. Coupled heat transfer and fluid flow in the fusion zone were described respectively by transient heat transfer equation and Navier–Stokes equation. Laser beam and electric arc heat sources were modeled using different heat source power distributions. Latent heat associated with the material’s state changes, buoyancy forces and liquid material flow through a porous medium were taken into account in considerations. Differential governing equations were numerically solved using projection method combined with finite volume method. Elaborated solution algorithm was implemented into computer solver used for simulation of heat transfer and fluid flow during welding. The geometry of the weld and heat affected zone as well as cooling rates were estimated on the basis of numerically obtained temperature field.     

A mathematical model of the heat transfer process in a shell and tube condenser for use in refrigeration applications

This paper describes a mathematical model that may be used in predicting the heat transfer performance of a shell and tube condenser. The model uses the Effectiveness-Number of Transfer Units (E-NTU) method of heat exchanger analysis. Given the geometric characteristics, the flow conditions and inlet fluid temperatures the model determines, (a), the necessary heat transfer coefficients; (b), the fractions of the condenser devoted to desuperheating, condensing and subcooling the condensing medium; (c), the total heat rejection; and (d), the exit fluid temperatures.The model has been validated by testing a typical condenser at various operating conditions. The measured performance has been compared with that predicted theoretically and a close correlation has been found to exist between the two.     

NSM solution for unsteady MHD Couette flow of a dusty conducting fluid with variable viscosity and electric conductivity

The effects of dependence on temperature of the viscosity and electric conductivity, Reynolds number and particle concentration on the unsteady MHD flow and heat transfer of a dusty, electrically conducting fluid between parallel plates in the presence of an external uniform magnetic field have been investigated using the network simulation method (NSM) and the electric circuit simulation program Pspice. The fluid is acted upon by a constant pressure gradient and an external uniform magnetic field perpendicular is applied to the plates. We solved the steady-state and transient problems of flow and heat transfer for both the fluid and dust particles. With this method, only discretization of the spatial co-ordinates is necessary, while time remains as a real continuous variable. Velocity and temperature are studied for different values of the viscosity and magnetic field parameters and for different particle concentration and upper wall velocity.     

Numerical investigation of transient heat transfer to hydromagnetic channel flow with radiative heat and convective cooling

This present study consists of a numerical investigation of transient heat transfer in channel flow of an electrically conducting variable viscosity Boussinesq fluid in the presence of a magnetic field and thermal radiation. The temperature dependent nature of viscosity is assumed to follow an exponentially model and the system exchanges heat with the ambient following Newton’s law of cooling. The governing nonlinear equations of momentum and energy transport are solved numerically using a semi-implicit finite difference method. Solutions are presented in graphical form and given in terms of fluid velocity, fluid temperature, skin friction and heat transfer rate for various parametric values. Our results reveal that combined effect of thermal radiation, magnetic field, viscosity variation and convective cooling have significant impact in controlling the rate of heat transfer in the boundary layer region.     

CFD modeling of hydrodynamic characteristics of a gas–liquid two-phase stirred tank

A three-dimensional CFD model was developed in this work to simulate hydrodynamic characteristics of a gas–liquid two-phase stirred tank with two six-bladed turbines and four baffles, coupling of the Multiple Size Group model to determine bubble size distribution. Important hydrodynamic parameters of the multi-phase system such as volume-averaged overall and time-averaged local gas holdups and axial liquid velocities along time and transversal courses were simulated and analyzed in detail, under varied operating conditions (inlet air flow rate and impeller rotation speed). Model predictions of local transient gas holdup and liquid velocity distributions on vertical and horizontal sections of the tank were also carried out. The overall flow patterns were discussed in detail to assess the mixing. Bubble size distributions were further predicted to reveal the unique properties of gas phase. Experimental measurements of overall gas holdups and local axial liquid velocities were used to validate the developed model.     

RBF Neural Network Based Prediction on Blade Surface Pressure Fields in Compressors北大核心CSCD

The airflow characteristics of the internal flow path of an aero-engine compressor are complex, and the vortex flow field around the blade is characterized by high pressure, high speed, rotation, and unsteadiness. Therefore, there is an urgent need to calculate and predict the aerodynamic characteristics of the complex flow field around the compressor blade efficiently and accurately. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method was used to generate the aerodynamic load distribution on the blade surface under different operating conditions for the study of the complex flow fields around aero-engine blades. The radial based function (RBF) neural network was applied to establish the pressure surface aerodynamic load prediction model, and the neural network modeling method was combined with the flow field calculation. The neural network method can learn and train the CFD-based data set to properly compensate the errors from the CFD, which provides a reference for the effective prediction of the complex flow fields around aero-engine compressor blades. © 2023 Editorial Office of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics. All rights reserved.     

CFD predictions for cement kilns including flame modelling,heat transfer and clinker chemistry

Clinker formation in coal-fired rotary cement kilns under realistic operation conditions has been modelled with a commercial axisymmetric CFD code for the gaseous phase including a Monte Carlo method for radiation, a finite-volume code for the energy equation in the kiln walls, and a novel code for the species and energy conservation equations, including chemical reactions, for the clinker. An iterative procedure between the predictions for the temperature field of the gaseous phase, the radiative heat flux to the walls, and the kiln and clinker temperature is used to predict the distribution of the inner wall temperature explicitly, including the calculation of heat flow to the clinker. It was found that the dominant mode of heat transfer between the gas and the kiln walls is by radiation and that the heat lost through the refractories to the environment is about 10% of the heat input and a further 40% is used for charge heating and clinker formation. The predictions are consistent with trends based on experience and limited measurements in a full-scale cement kiln.     

Computation of the thermal field in tools during machining processes

This paper deals with the modelling and computation of the thermal field inside turning tools during machining processes. The analysis is developed for the parabolic heat equation both in the transient and steady case as well as for inverse-type problems where some information on the solution is obtained from experimental data. Some numerical simulations are performed and a discussion on some research perspectives is proposed.     

Heat and mass transfer in liquid desiccant air-conditioning process at low flow conditions

This paper investigates the transient heat and mass transfer in liquid desiccant air-conditioning process at low flow conditions. Using local volumetric average approach, one-dimensional non-equilibrium heat and mass transfer models are developed to describe the humid air and liquid desiccant interaction at counter flow configuration. Using triethylene glycol solution as desiccant, some experimental studies are completed. Experimental results are used to justify the numerical models. Numerical results are then obtained to demonstrate process characteristics. The models include a transient desiccant flow model for initial liquid desiccant building-up process, empirical wetted specific surface ratio for mass transfer, and heat and mass transfer coefficients. The objective of this research is to develop a process analytical tool for liquid desiccant air-conditioner design.     

风速影响回风换热器换热性能数值仿真及实验研究

针对回风速度对矿井回风换热器换热性能的影响,建立了回风与液滴气液两相流之间热质交换的数学模型,利用CFD仿真软件FLUENT模拟回风速度分别为5 m/s,8 m/s,10 m/s,12 m/s和15 m/s时制热和制冷两种工况下液滴温度的变化,得出了回风速度对回风换热器换热性能的影响规律,最后利用实验测试了制热工况下风速对液滴温度变化的影响,得出的实验结果与仿真结果比较吻合.     

基于Monte-Carlo随机有限元方法的随机边界条件下自然对流换热不确定性研究

为分析边界条件不确定性对方腔内自然对流换热的影响,发展了一种求解随机边界条件下自然对流换热不确定性传播的Monte-Carlo随机有限元方法.通过对输入参数场随机边界条件进行Karhunen-Loeve展开及基于Latin(拉丁)抽样法生成边界条件随机样本,数值计算了不同边界条件随机样本下方腔内自然对流换热流场与温度场,并用采样统计方法计算了随机输出场的平均值与标准偏差.根据计算框架编写了求解随机边界条件下方腔内自然对流换热不确定性的MATLAB随机有限元程序,分析了随机边界条件相关长度与方差对自然对流不确定性的影响.结果表明:平均温度场及流场与确定性温度场及流场分布基本相同;随机边界条件下Nu数概率分布基本呈现正态分布,平均Nu数随着相关长度和方差增加而增大;方差对自然对流换热的影响强于相关长度的影响.     

Simulation of a membrane flow interaction by an iteration based on a panel method

A flow structure interaction of a membrane and a fluid is investigated. A conventional segregated numerical algorithm, where the membrane deformation and the flow dynamics are calculated alternately has to fail due to the artificial added mass instability. Thus, a new iteration scheme is proposed. In order to get a good prediction for the deformation of the membrane, the equations describing the membrane are coupled to a potential flow solver (panel method). Then a CFD solver can be used to determine the corrections of the flow field due viscosity and turbulence. An example is presented that this procedure seems to be numerically stable. (© 2013 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)