{"id":387876,"date":"2024-10-02T20:40:10","date_gmt":"2024-10-02T20:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovationspace.ansys.com\/forum\/forums\/topic\/simulating-solar-collector\/"},"modified":"2024-10-02T20:40:10","modified_gmt":"2024-10-02T20:40:10","slug":"simulating-solar-collector","status":"publish","type":"topic","link":"https:\/\/innovationspace.ansys.com\/forum\/forums\/topic\/simulating-solar-collector\/","title":{"rendered":"Simulating solar collector"},"content":{"rendered":"

<p>Hello, I’m simulating a dual-purpose solar collector which is used to heat both air and water simultaneously. I’m using Ansys Fluent for this simulation. To reduce the computation time, I draw a small geometry for this collector which consists of four domains (Air, Water, Absorber, and Weld). In design modeler I shared the topology then I proceeded to mesh (see image 1). \"\" In mesh, the element, skewness, and orthogonal qualities seem good, aren’t they? (see image 2). \"\" Then, I named the bodies and surfaces as illustrated in the image (3). \"\" The named surface (glass) is the top surface of the air domain which represents the collector’s cover. This cover transfers heat with surroundings by convection, how does Ansys fluent deal with the surroundings (I mean the space outside my geometry)? because I have convection B.C. on the top of the air volume (green colored as in image 4), I put both the convection coefficient and free stream temperature. So, will the convection be between the green-colored surface and the surroundings? or between the green surface and the air volume (this is my first question)?    \"\" In the setup, \"\" I activated the energy model with a laminar flow (because my case is laminar). I chose materials (air, water-liquid, steel for absorber, copper for weld and pipe, and I defined a new material which is glass that covers the collector). Then, I applied these materials to the 4 domains in cell zone conditions (except glass because it is a surface, not a body). In Boundary conditions, I entered the mass flow rate and temperature for inlet air and inlet water, for the outlet I chose a pressure outlet. \"\" The other B.Cs are:  1) glass: it is the top surface of the air domain and its material is “glass” with convection thermal condition. \"\" 2) interior-absorber-weld: which is the interface between the absorber and weld domains, it is thermally coupled with steel as a material for it. 3)interior-pipe-weld: it is the interface between the pipe and weld domains, it is also thermally coupled with copper material. 4) side_walls-absorber: it represents the left and right sides of the collector which are attached to the absorber, steel is the material, these walls are considered isolated surfaces so I chose zero heat flux for thermal conditions. 5) side_walls-air: represents the left and right sides of the air domain, also isolated surfaces, I chose Aluminum as material for them and again zero heat flux for thermal conditions.   6)wall-absorber: represents the bottom, front, and back surfaces of the absorber domain, steel material, zero heat flux.  7) wall-absorber-air: represents the upper surface of the absorber domain where I’m applying a heat flux of 633 W\/m2.  8) wall-pipe: represents the bottom, front, and back surfaces of the pipe domain. cooper material and zero heat flux. 9)wall-pipe-water: represents the interface between water and pipe domain, cooper material, zero heat flux ( because I assumed that there is an insulation material beneath the pipe). 10) wall-weld: represents the bottom, front, and back surfaces of the weld domain.cooper material and zero heat flux. I noticed there is no ” Mesh Interface ” in the outline tree. \"\" In the solution Methods, I used a coupled scheme and second order.   \"\" The solution controls: \"\" The residuals are put (1e-6) and I applied Hybrid initialization. Then I run the simulation. The problem appears in the residual report, I didn’t get a convergence at all. \"\" any help will be highly appreciated.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","class_list":["post-387876","topic","type-topic","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t