solar air heater wizard: automating cfdmdx2.plm.automation.siemens.com/sites/default/...tool to...
TRANSCRIPT
Solar Air Heater Wizard:
Automating CFD
Geneviève Dutil & Yannick Sirois
ENGINEERING
SIMULATION
CFD FEA
LubiTM Collector (perforated glazing)
Existing wall
Metal backing (optional)
Spacing clips
LubiTM panels
Vertical
extruded bars
Goal:
Tool to simulate heat transfer in
wall before installation to predict
and optimize efficiency
Proposition:
Automated CFD analysis from
CAD to report through a GUI wizard
Previous Process
7
Design Building Measurements
Design of corrective methods
Building Delivery
New Process
8
Design Simulations Optimization
Building Delivery
Project Stages
• Simulation Strategy
• Simulation Model and Validation
• GUI Programming
• Optimization case
9
Simulation Strategy
• Use of simple geometry elements
• Porous semi-translucent modeled as
porous baffle
• No environmental modeling
• Trimmed cell mesh
10
Porous Baffle Calibration
• Detailed
simulation of a
section of the
perforated plate
11
Simulation & Validation
• Four fully instrumented solar collectors
12
CAD
13
Temperature and Flow Patterns
14
Mass Flow Rate & Pressure Drop
Across Porous Baffle
15
Simulation & Validation
• Simulation outlet temperatures and efficiency
significantly lower than the experimental values
• Environment plays an important role pre-heating
air before entering the collector
• Determination of a correction factor to the inlet
temperature influenced by:
– Mass flow rate
– Inlet temperature
– Solar radiation incident to the collector
background wall
16
GUI Programming
17
GUI Programming
18
GUI Programming
19
Optimization Case
20
Single outlet, left side
Junction between two
sections of different
length
Wider plenum
Side inlet
Optimization Case
21
Optimization Case
22
T_in Flow rate
Out
T out Δη
1) Original design
-15.6
°C
13543 CFM
3.4 °C 0 %
2) Outlet centered 6.0 °C. 10.3 %
3) 2+ Blocked top inlet 5.8 °C 9.4 %
4) 2+ Inlets left side 6.4 °C 11.6 %
5) 4 + blocked top inlets 6.3 °C 11.4 %
6) 2 centered outlets +
inlets on both sides
6.0 °C 10.4 %
7) 2 centered outlets +
no inlets
5.9 °C 9.9 %
8) 6 + blocked top inlets 5.9 °C 9.7 %
Optimization Case
23
Benefits of GUI
• Makes CFD accessible to non-expert
users
• Optimizes wall configuration before
building
• Helps in sales: show simulation results
to client 24
Thank you!
Questions?