Week 8 - Natural Convection-II

Natural Convection 2

Aim

To conduct thermal simulation of low voltage panel natural convection using icepak

Objective

• Construct the model based on the provided information.

• Develop an optimal meshing strategy for the model to ensure accuracy and efficiency.
• Configure the model for analysis by setting up necessary parameters and boundary conditions.
• Execute the simulation to obtain results.
• Post-process the simulation results to extract relevant information and insights.

Model

Generate the model according to system requirements, ensuring the geometry aligns with specified criteria.

Cabinet:

Fluid region surrounding the model.

Governing equations solved within this region.

IG Block (Multiple Instances):

Block type: Solid

Surface material: Paint non-metallic

Solid material: Fe

Total power: Varies for each block (e.g., 168.92 W for one block)

Bus Bar (Multiple Instances, e.g., Bus Bar A):

Shape: Prismatic

Surface material: Cu polished surface

Solid material: Cu pure

Total power: Joule heating

Joule heating power:

Type: Constant

Current: 800 amp

Resistivity: 1.72e-8 ohm

Coefficient (C): 0.0039

Reference temperature (Tref): 25 degrees C

IG Cable:

Block type: Solid

Surface material: Cu polished surface

Solid material: Cu pure

Total power: Joule heating

Power distribution dependent on cable length.

Enclosure:

Block type: Solid

Surface material: Paint white acrylic

Solid material: Steel carbon 1020

Thermal specification: Thin-walled boundaries (3mm thickness)

Radiation activated for all walls.

Meshing

The proper meshing was done and it showed good quality.The total meshes generated are 196054 and nodes 215006.

Result

Iterations

Temperature

Cut plane temperature conture

Vector plot

Conclusion

In the presence of natural convection, air circulates from the inlet grille to the outlet grille. The top region of the enclosure experiences a temperature of 83 degrees Celsius, whereas the temperature at the bottom phase is 21.35 degrees Celsius.

The lower section of the voltage panel exhibits lower temperatures and minimal airflow velocity, indicating relatively cooler conditions. In contrast, the upper block, housing the heat source, experiences higher airflow velocity to effectively dissipate heat from its surface.