Solar Air Heater Wizard: Automating CFD Genevive Dutil & - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Solar Air Heater Wizard: Automating CFD Geneviève Dutil & Yannick Sirois

CFD ENGINEERING SIMULATION FEA

Lubi TM Collector (perforated glazing) Metal backing (optional) Existing wall Lubi TM panels Spacing clips 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 Design Building Measurements Design of corrective Delivery Building methods 7

New Process Design Simulations Optimization Delivery Building 8

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 Wider plenum Single outlet, left side Side inlet Junction between two 20 sections of different length

Optimization Case 21

Optimization Case T_in Flow rate T out Δη Out 1) Original design 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 % -15.6 13543 CFM 6) 2 centered outlets + 6.0 °C 10.4 % °C inlets on both sides 7) 2 centered outlets + 5.9 °C 9.9 % no inlets 8) 6 + blocked top inlets 5.9 °C 9.7 % 22

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?