Comparison of Turbulence Models and Wall Layer Mesh in a Solar Air Heater

Year 2022, Volume: 8 Issue: 2, 371 - 384, 01.09.2022

Ozgur Erol

Abstract

Turbulence models and the wall layer mesh thickness that are given to the walls are two important parameters for the solution of the fluid mechanics problems in Computational Fluid Dynamics. For different problems in engineering, different turbulence models are efficient. Also the thickness of the wall layer, which is determined before the solution, is another parameter which affects the result of the solution for a selected turbulence model. In this study, three turbulence models, which are k-, Renormalization-Group k- (RNG) and Low Reynolds Number k- models, were compared for 3, 6 and 9 levels of wall layer on a flat solar air heater. The results were compared with the results given in the literature. In the analysis of the solar air heater, solar radiation calculations were made for a better simulation. According to the comparison of the results that were acquired from the CFD solutions and the results in the literature, Renormalization-Group k- using six wall layers is found to be the best method and wall layer thickness among the alternatives that were investigated.

Keywords

Turbulence models, Solar air heater, Wall layer mesh structure

Hava Akışkanlı Bir Güneş Toplacında Türbülans Modellerinin ve Duvar Tabaka Ağ Yapısının Karşılaştırması

Abstract

Türbülans modelleri ve duvarlara atanan duvar tabaka ağ kalınlığı, hesaplamalı akışkanlar dinamiğinin kullanıldığı akış problemlerinin iki önemli parametresini oluşturmaktadır. Mühendislikteki farklı problemler için farklı türbülans modelleri etkin bir şekilde kullanılmaktadır. Ayrıca duvar ağ yapısı oluşturulurken belirlenen duvar tabaka ağ kalınlığı da seçilmiş olan türbülans modelinden elde edilecek sonucu etkileyen bir parametredir. Bu çalışmada, hava akışkanlı bir güneş toplacı için üç farklı türbülans modeli, k-, RNG k- ve düşük Reynolds sayısı için k- modelleri, 3, 6 ve 9 kademe duvar tabaka ağ kalınlıklarında incelenmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlar incelendiğinde, incelemesi yapılan modeller arasındaki en iyi sonucun altı seviye duvar tabaka ağ yapısına sahip RNG metodu olduğu görülmektedir.

Keywords

Türbülans modelleri, Güneş toplacı, Duvar tabaka ağ yapısı

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