A 3D CFD-Based Workflow for Analyses of a Wide Range of Flow and Heat Transfer Conditions in Air Gaps of Electric Machines
Increasing power densities of electric machines in e-vehicles in addition to the resulting quest for enhanced cooling concepts are bringing forward the importance of defining adequate heat transfer correlations in air gaps. This is a highly challenging topic, as there exist no generally applicable f...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-08-01
|
| Series: | Fluids |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5521/7/8/273 |
| _version_ | 1797410199337697280 |
|---|---|
| author | Anton Žnidarčič Tomaž Katrašnik |
| author_facet | Anton Žnidarčič Tomaž Katrašnik |
| author_sort | Anton Žnidarčič |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Increasing power densities of electric machines in e-vehicles in addition to the resulting quest for enhanced cooling concepts are bringing forward the importance of defining adequate heat transfer correlations in air gaps. This is a highly challenging topic, as there exist no generally applicable flow and heat transfer phenomena descriptions for air gaps due to their highly variable geometrical properties and operating conditions. As an answer to this challenge, this paper presents a workflow that defines an adequate 3D CFD model for an arbitrary air-gap design that includes its system-dependent boundary conditions. The workflow is built on the recognition of underlying air-gap flow phenomena, which are used to steer the subsequent design of the 3D CFD model in a systematic step-by-step manner. Consequently, the complexity of the 3D CFD model gradually increases to the point where it provides an adequate flow and heat transfer description. Validation of the workflow is presented for a wide range of air-gap designs and flow conditions. It is demonstrated that the 3D CFD models obtained with the workflow match the experimentally obtained data from various flow cases that have been documented in the literature. Considerable optimization of computational costs, offering potentially an order-of-magnitude reduction in computational time, is achieved as a result of computational domain span optimization and transient simulations being applied only when required. The validation confirms that this workflow facilitates construction of valid 3D CFD models without the prior knowledge of flow and heat transfer phenomena in a specific air gap. This workflow thus provides a reliable and computationally efficient tool for valorization of convective heat transfer, and opens up prospects for time- and cost-efficient optimizations of electric machines’ cooling system designs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:26:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-099a076104c24e02a2ace90353475ed8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2311-5521 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:26:26Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Fluids |
| spelling | doaj.art-099a076104c24e02a2ace90353475ed82023-12-03T13:39:05ZengMDPI AGFluids2311-55212022-08-017827310.3390/fluids7080273A 3D CFD-Based Workflow for Analyses of a Wide Range of Flow and Heat Transfer Conditions in Air Gaps of Electric MachinesAnton Žnidarčič0Tomaž Katrašnik1Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 6, SI-1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaFaculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 6, SI-1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaIncreasing power densities of electric machines in e-vehicles in addition to the resulting quest for enhanced cooling concepts are bringing forward the importance of defining adequate heat transfer correlations in air gaps. This is a highly challenging topic, as there exist no generally applicable flow and heat transfer phenomena descriptions for air gaps due to their highly variable geometrical properties and operating conditions. As an answer to this challenge, this paper presents a workflow that defines an adequate 3D CFD model for an arbitrary air-gap design that includes its system-dependent boundary conditions. The workflow is built on the recognition of underlying air-gap flow phenomena, which are used to steer the subsequent design of the 3D CFD model in a systematic step-by-step manner. Consequently, the complexity of the 3D CFD model gradually increases to the point where it provides an adequate flow and heat transfer description. Validation of the workflow is presented for a wide range of air-gap designs and flow conditions. It is demonstrated that the 3D CFD models obtained with the workflow match the experimentally obtained data from various flow cases that have been documented in the literature. Considerable optimization of computational costs, offering potentially an order-of-magnitude reduction in computational time, is achieved as a result of computational domain span optimization and transient simulations being applied only when required. The validation confirms that this workflow facilitates construction of valid 3D CFD models without the prior knowledge of flow and heat transfer phenomena in a specific air gap. This workflow thus provides a reliable and computationally efficient tool for valorization of convective heat transfer, and opens up prospects for time- and cost-efficient optimizations of electric machines’ cooling system designs.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5521/7/8/273heat transferair gapTaylor–Couette–Poiseuille flowelectric machine3D CFDworkflow |
| spellingShingle | Anton Žnidarčič Tomaž Katrašnik A 3D CFD-Based Workflow for Analyses of a Wide Range of Flow and Heat Transfer Conditions in Air Gaps of Electric Machines Fluids heat transfer air gap Taylor–Couette–Poiseuille flow electric machine 3D CFD workflow |
| title | A 3D CFD-Based Workflow for Analyses of a Wide Range of Flow and Heat Transfer Conditions in Air Gaps of Electric Machines |
| title_full | A 3D CFD-Based Workflow for Analyses of a Wide Range of Flow and Heat Transfer Conditions in Air Gaps of Electric Machines |
| title_fullStr | A 3D CFD-Based Workflow for Analyses of a Wide Range of Flow and Heat Transfer Conditions in Air Gaps of Electric Machines |
| title_full_unstemmed | A 3D CFD-Based Workflow for Analyses of a Wide Range of Flow and Heat Transfer Conditions in Air Gaps of Electric Machines |
| title_short | A 3D CFD-Based Workflow for Analyses of a Wide Range of Flow and Heat Transfer Conditions in Air Gaps of Electric Machines |
| title_sort | 3d cfd based workflow for analyses of a wide range of flow and heat transfer conditions in air gaps of electric machines |
| topic | heat transfer air gap Taylor–Couette–Poiseuille flow electric machine 3D CFD workflow |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5521/7/8/273 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT antonznidarcic a3dcfdbasedworkflowforanalysesofawiderangeofflowandheattransferconditionsinairgapsofelectricmachines AT tomazkatrasnik a3dcfdbasedworkflowforanalysesofawiderangeofflowandheattransferconditionsinairgapsofelectricmachines AT antonznidarcic 3dcfdbasedworkflowforanalysesofawiderangeofflowandheattransferconditionsinairgapsofelectricmachines AT tomazkatrasnik 3dcfdbasedworkflowforanalysesofawiderangeofflowandheattransferconditionsinairgapsofelectricmachines |