<p>A three-dimensional numerical study was performed to increase a cooling system's performance by using different flow pattern configurations. This study considers the interaction of fluid flow and heat transfer in the solid region and fluid region. The continuity equation, momentum, and energy equations were applied to solve the proposed 3D problem. The analysis corresponds to steady-state conditions. Additionally, a parametric study was performed in terms of the convective coefficient of the surrounding air, heat generation, and mass flow rate. The three different flow pattern models studied are Model-1 representing the U-cooling configuration flow pattern. Model-2 proposes a Y-configuration flow pattern and Model-3 Z-configuration flow pattern. The numerical simulation results showed a more uniform temperature distribution with the Y-configuration than the other two configurations. The numerical solution of the coupled fluid-energy equations corresponding to the three for the three configurations indicates that there is a significant effect of the fluid pattern in the temperature distribution of the individual components of the system. A parametric study investigated the impact of two variables: natural convection and mass flow rate in the core temperature of the batteries. A slight reduction in the core temperature is sawed when the natural convective coefficient increases from 1 to 7 W/m<sup>2</sup>.K; it means the environmental conditions will not affect the air cooling process of the system. The mass flow rate had a significant contribution to the rate of cooling; as it is defined, the cooling rate is directly proportional to the mass flow rate, times the enthalpy change of the fluid. This study is only focused on the effect of flow patterns in the evaluation of the core temperature. Therefore, we simplify the analysis by selecting four different heat sources applied to the system and solve only the Navier-Stokes equations and the energy balance. The numerical results showed that the components of the system near the inlet presented the lowest temperature in the U-configuration. The worst performance in terms of temperature rise in the system corresponded to the Z-configuration. The Y-configuration presented the lowest average temperature in the core of the battery; also, the temperature distribution was more uniform than the other two configurations. The U-configuration presented the lowest pressure drop, and the Z-configuration the most significant pressure drop. The study also revealed the effect of the natural convective coefficient in the improvement of the cooling process in the system. A Y-configuration flow pattern can dissipate heat generation more efficiently</p>

Study of Flow Pattern Configuration Effect in Cooling Systems

Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/IMECE/IMECE2021/volume/85543

ASME 2021 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE2021)

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