Computational modeling of fin-and-tube type vehicle radiators based on porous medium approach

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Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Mühendislik Fakültesi, Makina Mühendisliği Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2014

Öğrenci: KADİR GÖKHAN GÜLER

Danışman: MEHMET HALUK AKSEL

Özet:

A common tool for the determination of the thermal characteristics of fin-and-tube heat exchangers is the experimental testing. However, experimental testing is not feasible considering the cost and the labor-time. One alternative to the experimental testing is the utilization of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis to predict the thermal characteristics of these kinds of radiators. However, CFD models are also not suitable to be used as a design tool since the considerably amount of computational power and the computational time required due to the complex geometric structures of the fins. This issue becomes problematic when the large-scale heavy-duty radiators are considered. Computational thermal performance analysis based on porous medium approach of a vehicle radiator is studied in this M.Sc. thesis. Fin side of the radiator is modeled as porous medium. Fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics are extracted from the unit cell fin domains and implementation is made into complete radiator assembly. Forchiemmer model is used for the porous medium characterization. Utilization of this modeling leads the way to obtain thermal and hydrodynamic characteristics of fin-tube type vehicle radiators.