The numerical and experimental analysis of forced convection on the surfaces of a rectangular box with heat generation

Abstract

Paper presented at the 6th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, South Africa, 30 June - 2 July, 2008.

The system development with experimental studies that is accomplished by trial and error method is neither practical nor economical since it is difficult and expensive. So that, creating the mathematical model and determining the most appropriate design data by using numerical solutions is a more effective and cheaper approach for the system development. In this study numerical and experimental analysis of forced convection heat transfer from the horizontal and lateral surfaces of a 0.3m x 0.3m x 0.52m rectangular box in a 0.55m x 0.55m x 3m wind tunnel, which is heated by a 0.5m length cylindrical 450 W power source with a constant surface temperature of 200ºC, was performed. The temperature distribution on all exterior sides of rectangular box subjected to forced convection, were calculated by finite volume numerical analysis and compared with the results obtained from the experimental measurements. The main objective of this study is to verify the mathematical model which was constituted for the numerical solution. The results obtained from the numerical analysis were approximately similar to the ones obtained in experimental analysis, so the mathematical model was verified.