Niphon Wansophark

Combined Streamline Upwind Petrov Galerkin Method and Segregated Finite Element Algorithm for Conjugate Heat Transfer Problems

A combined Streamline Upwind Petrov-Galerkin method (SUPG) and segregated finite element algorithm for solving conjugate heat transfer problems where heat conduction in a solid is coupled with heat convection in viscous fluid flow is presented. The Streamline Upwind Petrov-Galerkin method is used for the analysis of viscous thermal flow in the fluid region, while the analysis of heat conduction in solid region is performed by the Galerkin method. The method uses the three-node triangular element with equal-order interpolation functions for all the variables of the velocity components, the pressure and the temperature. The main advantage of the presented method is to consistently couple heat transfer along the fluid-solid interface. Four test cases, which are the conjugate Couette flow problem in parallel plate channel, the counter-flow in heat exchanger, the conjugate natural convection in a square cavity with a conducting wall, and the conjugate natural convection and conduction from heated cylinder in square cavity, are selected to evaluate efficiency of the presented method.

Combined adaptive meshing technique and segregated finite element algorithm for analysis of free and forced convection heat transfer

A combined algorithm between a segregated finite element method and a monotone streamline upwinding method for solving two-dimensional viscous incompressible thermal flows is presented. The finite element equations are derived from a set of coupled nonlinear Navier-Stokes equations that consists of the conservation of mass, momentums and energy. The method uses the three-node triangular element with equal-order interpolations for all the variables of the velocity components, the pressure and the temperature. The efficiency of the developed finite element formulation was evaluated by solving natural convection examples of the thermally driven flows in a square cavity and in concentric cylinders. The formulation was further evaluated by solving a forced convection example of a flow past a heated cylinder. In addition, an adaptive meshing technique is also implemented to further increase the solution accuracy, and at the same time, to minimize the computational time and computer memory requirement.