Chapter 58: Coupled Advection for Heat Exchanger

Coupled Advection for

58 Heat Exchanger


Summary 1144

Introduction 1145

Modeling Details 1145

Solution Highlights 1146

Modeling Tips 1152

Input File(s) 1152

Video 1153
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Summary
Title Coupled Advection for Heat Exchanger
Features • 1-D fluid flow using PCONV1 entry
• Coupled advection using PRJCON and SET3 cards
Geometry

Length: 10 in.
Air Channel: 5(1x0.5)

Material properties • Aluminum: Thermal conductivity (K)= 4 W/in°C

• Air: Thermal conductivity (K)= 6.66e-4 W/in°C, Specific heat (Cp) = 456.2 j/lb°C,
Thermal density (ρ) = 5.01e-5 lb/in³, µ= 1.03e-6 lb/in.s, β= 3.43e-3/°C
• Inner wall thickness = 0.1 in, outside wall thickness = 0.05 in.
• Airflow: mass flow rate= 8.33e-3 lb/s
Analysis characteristics Solution 400 / RC Network solver. Steady state thermal analysis.
Boundary conditions Inlet temp of air flow= 20°C
Applied loads • Top surface heat flux = 20 W/in²
• Five coupled advection loads, convection coefficient = 0.3

Element type • CQUAD4 for surface, CHBDYP/FTUBE for air flow

Numerical results
Temperature Results
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Introduction
This problem demonstrates the coupled advection capability of SOL 400 RC Network Solver.

Modeling Details
This problem shows the application of coupled advection load. You will see how the air flow associates with the heat
exchanger surfaces. The heat exchanger is being modeled in SimXpert. A normal flux 20 W/in² is applied on the top
surface. Five curves are used to represent the air flow through the five channels. SimXpert supports the use of either
fluid nodes or curves for the fluid flow. When curves are used, SimXpert automatically converts them into fluid nodes
internally. For SOL400 RC Network Solver (RCNS or RCNT), the mass flow rate is a part of the 1-D fluid flow
property; therefore, the mass flow rate of the flow conductors does not change if they are attached to multiple surfaces
with multiple coupled advection loads. Please note: this is different with SOL400 FEM solver (HSTAT or HTRAN).
For SOL400 FEM solver, mass flow rate is a part of load. If the air flow is used by different coupled advection loads,
each load has its own mass flow rate. The total mass flow rate is the sum of all the coupled advection loads.
The mesh on the surfaces does not need to match that of the curves. This is because the thermal contact used to attach
the airfow to the surface allows for dissimilar meshes. However, using the same mesh size for the air flow and the
surface (Figure 58-1) to produce a one-to-one correspondence is preferred.

q = 20 W/in2

w
lo
rF
Ai

Structure: Aluminum Plate:

Inner Wall Thickness = 0.1 in K = 4.0W/inoC
Outside Wall Thickness = 0.05 in

Air Flow: Air:

Tin = 20oC K = 6.66e-4 W/inoC
mdot = 8.33e-3 lbm/s Cp = 456.2 J/lbmoC
h = 0.3 W/in2oC ρ = 5.01e-5 lbm/in
μ = 1.03e-6 lbm/in/s
o
β = 3.43e-3/ C
Figure 58-1 Heat Exchanger Model (Nastran Test File: QT26_exchang_all.dat)
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Solution Highlights
As a part of MD Nastran SOL 400, the RC Network Solver is indicated by ANALYSIS = RCNS for steady state
thermal analysis, and ANALYSIS = RCNT for transient analysis. SimXpert always creates a SPCADD or a LOAD in
the Bulk Data Post Section for RCNS or RCNT, even if there is only one SPC or one LOAD in the Bulk Data Model
Section. This is not the case for HSTAT or HTRAN models created by SimXpert.
The following are the highlights of the Nastran input file necessary to model this problem:

PCONV1 entry is used by RC Network Solver for Fluid property. Mass Flow Rate is defined as a property parameter
in PCONV1 entry for the fluid stream (a curve or a series of 1-D bar elements); therefore, the fluid stream’s mass flow
rate is a constant, even if it maybe referenced by multiple coupled advection loads. Please note: this is different with
Nastran/Thermal where mass flow rate is a part of coupled advection load. For Nastran/Thermal, the total mass flow
rate is the sum of the mass flow rates if a fluid stream is referenced by multiple coupled advection loads.
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Coupled Advection for Heat Exchanger

The PRJCON entry is used to link the two SET3 cards with a constant h value. The inlet temperature is defined as a
SPC for each node. The fluid flow is defined as a group of CHBDYP/FTUBE elements. The first SET3 entry contains
the CHBDYE surface element IDs where the coupled advection load applies. The second SET3 entry contains the
nodes along the fluid flow stream. The multiple CHBDYP elements are not allowed between the same two fluid nodes.
This is difficult with Nastran/Thermal.
The translator of RC Network Solver hooks the fluid stream nodes with the surface nodes during runtime based on the
nearest neighbor method.
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PCONV1 Thermal Convection Calculation Properties

Defines the properties required to calculate convective heat transfer. It can exist in a simple mode with convection
coefficient defined in the MID or in advanced mode where the H value is calculated using the geometric parameters and
referenced material.

Format
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
PCONV1 PID Corr ID MID Mdot Velocity Length or Flow Cross +
Diameter Section
Length Flow Cross Mdot f Velocity f Length or Flow Cross +
function Section Diameter f Section f
type type
+ C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 +
+ C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 +
+ C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24

Example
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
PCONV1 2 701 2 1.0

Format and Example

Field Contents Type Default
PID Property identification number, referenced by CHBDYP I  0
and/or CONV.
Corr ID ID of convection type in correlation library. I0 0
MID Material identification number for convection I0 0
calculation.
Mdot Mass flow rate. R 0.0
Mdot f Mass flow rate TABLEDj table ID. I0 0
Velocity Fluid velocity. R0 0.0
Velocity f Fluid velocity TABLEDj table ID. I0 0
Length or Diameter Geometry, based on Corr ID. R  0.0 0.0
Length or Diameter f type Geometry function type: I0 2
1= time
2= temperature
Length or Diameter f Geometric function TABLEMj or TABLEDj table ID I0 0
Flow Cross Section Flow Cross Section. R  0.0 0.0
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Field Contents Type Default

Flow Cross Section f type Flow Cross Section function type I0 2
1= time
2= temperature
Flow Cross Section f Flow Cross Section function TABLEMj or TABLEDj table I  0 0
ID.
C1 thru C24 Geometric properties based on chosen convection R 0.0
correlation

Remarks
1. This entry is for RC Network solver only.
2. The PCONV1 entry contains the properties for a CONV and CHDBYP, and can be used for connecting with a
PRJCON. PID must be unique to both the PCONVID in PCONV and the PID in PHBDY. This will be the ID
referenced by CONV, PRJCON, and CHBDYP.
3. MATID must reference a MAT4 fluid material.
4. For Corr. ID and C1 thru C24, please reference MSC SINDA User’s Guide and Library Reference or the
P/Thermal User’s Guide.
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PRJCON Thermal RC Element Contact

Specifies a thermal connection between two regions of elements. The connection is automatically determined
geometrically as a projection of the slave region on to the master, and the strength of the connection is calculated based
on the properties given.

HEAT1

Format
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
PRJCON BID +
HEAT1 SET3 SET3 Slave h
Master

Example
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
PRJCON 1
HEAT1 1 2 1.2

HEAT2

Format
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
PRJCON BID +
HEAT2 SET3 SET3 Slave PID
Master

Example
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
PRJCON 1
HEAT2 1 2 1001

HEAT3

Format
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
PRJCON BID +
HEAT3 SET3 SET3 Slave F Emis Emis Slave
Master Master
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Example
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
PRJCON 1
HEAT3 1 2 1. 0.85 0.5

HEAT4

Format
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
PRJCON BID +
HEAT4 SET3 SET3 Slave F RADC id RADC id
Master Master Slave

Example
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
PRJCON 1
HEAT4 1 2 1. 1001 1002

Field Contents Type Default

BID BCBODY identification number. I0 Required
HEATx Indicates the start of HEAT elements. C
SET3 Master ID of the master element collection for connection. I0 Required
SET3 Slave ID of the slave element collection for connection. I0 Required
h Convection correlation. R  0.0 Required
for HEAT1
PID PID of the property to be used for h value. I0 Required
for HEAT2
F View factor between parts. 0.0  R Required
 1.0 for HEAT3
& HEAT4
Emis Master Emissivity of master collection. R  0.0 Required
for HEAT3
Emis Slave Emissivity of master collection. R  0.0 Required
for HEAT4
RADC id Master RADMID of the material to be used for master emissivity I0 Required
value.
RADC id Slave RADMID of the material to be used for slave emissivity I0 Required
value.
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Remarks:
1. This HEATx and the later parameters are for RC Network solver only.
2. For HEAT2, PID must refer to a PCONV1 type, and not a PCONV or PCONVM.
3. RC Network Solver uses a projection method to determine the connection (not the “nearest neighbor method”).
In most of the cases, the projection method is more accurate than the nearest neighbor method.

Results

Figure 58-2 Temperature Contour of Heat Exchanger

SimXpert cannot display the temperature contour on the fluid stream but does on solid surface such as plate or solid
element faces. The air flows are heated by the wall, so the temperature at outlet points is higher than that at inlet points.
This also causes the temperature gradient on the heat exchanger surfaces. The heat conducts from the top surface to
the bottom surface through the six side walls; this causes the waves of the temperature contour.

Modeling Tips
The 1-D Fluid Flow properties are defined in Material and Property/1D Properties / Correlation. If you want to use
constant convection coefficient in the coupled advection loads, please select the 1D Fluid Flow option. If you want to
use convection correlation to calculate the convection coefficient, please pick the Convection Correlation option.
Please note coupled advection can be applied to the top or bottom of a surface and will produce the same results.

Input File(s)
File Description
QT26_exchang_all.dat MD Nastran SOL400/RC Network Solver thermal input file
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Coupled Advection for Heat Exchanger

Video
Click on the image or caption below to view a streaming video of this problem; it lasts approximately 30 minutes and
explains how the steps are performed.

Length: 10 in.
Air Channel: 5(1x0.5)

Figure 58-3 Video of the Above Steps