Heat Transfer Inside a Zigzag Channel CFD Simulation, ANSYS Fluent Software

Project Description

Using ANSYS Fluent, this paper models the heat transmission of water flow through a zigzag channel.  With angles set at 15 degrees in the first model and 45 degrees in the second, the channel has ten zigzag bends.  At a Reynolds number of 107, the flow is laminar.

 Exiting at atmospheric pressure, water enters the channel with a temperature of 393.15 K and a speed of 0.0334 m/s.  While the upper wall keeps a steady temperature of 276.65 K, the lower wall of the channel is insulated.

Geometry & Mesh

Using Spaceclaim, the 2D model shows a zigzag pattern with ten turns.  Two versions are modelled: one with a 15-degree and the other with a 45-degree slant.  Using a structured mesh with 48,000 components, ANSYS Meshing does meshing.

CFD Simulation

Key assumptions for the simulation include:

• Pressure-based solver
• Steady state
• Neglecting gravity effects

The simulation involves:

• Laminar viscous model
• Velocity inlet and pressure outlet boundary conditions

Second-order spatial discretisation coupled with SIMPLE pressure-velocity coupling characterises solution techniques.

Results

For both channel angles—15 and 45 degrees—the simulation offers 2D contours of velocity, pressure, and temperature.  The Nusselt number distribution over the upper wall is also examined for both setups.