Week 7 Update

Week 7 saw the team make great progress in all aspects of the project.

The modelling team tested the splitting up of faces for extraction of different stl. files of individual faces. This is required for the solving process to input different boundary conditions at different locations on the model. A 2-pin model was also created. The quality of the model was inspected using a 3D viewer and it was noted that the curvature of the pins and the overall model was very good. Also, after a discussion with our project advisor, we have decided that the design of the unit cell needs to be altered. This is due to complications that would arise within the solving process. The mesh of model at the inlet and outlet must be compatible and merge seamlessly. However, with the 2-pin design, this would not be the case. Hence, the model will be extended and mirrored along the length of the heat exchanger to create a 3-pin staggered model. The modelling team will aim to produce this full model next week.

The meshing team continued to work on the simple model created from Solidworks and focused in on refining the mesh around the cylindrical pins. This was determined to be the most difficult place to mesh the model as snappyHexMesh is known for cutting out parts of the model if the mesh is not accurate enough. Hence extra care was taken to improve the mesh in this location.

Cylindrical surface with refined mesh

The solving team managed to make the 3-block chtMultiRegion simulation cyclic. This is another major milestone in the project. The last step is to create a heat sink for the simulation to ensure the fluid does not heat up exponentially. This is another extremely difficult process to work out and it is predicted this section will take 2-3 weeks. The solving team will also work making a 3-block simulation with a pin in the centre cyclic.

3-block chtMultiRegion simulation with cyclic conditions