Experimental Validation of a Numerical Coupling Environment Applying FEM and CFD

Abstract

Experimental results for the transient heat transfer characteristics over a flat plate and over a plate with V-shaped ribs were compared to numerical results from a coupling environment applying FEM and CFD. In order to simulate transient effects in the cooling process of engine components during typical flight missions, the temperature and the velocity at the inlet of the channel were varied over time. The transient temperature distribution at the plate was measured using infrared thermography. Five different plate materials (perspex, PEEK, quartz, aluminum, and steel) were considered to investigate the influence of thermal conduction on the heat transfer between solid and fluid depending on the Biot number. The experimental results represent a reference database for a Python-based coupling environment applying CalculiX (FEM) and ANSYS CFX (CFD). The results were additionally compared to numerical results simulating the complete transient conjugated heat transfer with CFD. A good agreement between the numerical and the experimental results was achieved using different coupling sizes at different Biot numbers for the flat plate and the plate with V-shaped ribs.