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An efficient method to predict the heat transfer performance of a louver fin radiator in an automotive power system

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Abstract

A numerical method to efficiently predict heat transfer phenomena of a louver fin radiator was presented — multi-scale semimicroscopic heat exchange (SHE) method. This method consists of microscopic analysis and semimicroscopic analysis. To predict heat transfer characteristics of a louver fin element, the microscopic analysis employs modeling of the detailed geometry of a fin element. Numerical models for the heat transfer rate and flow friction derived from the microscopic analysis are then used for simulations of the full radiator model in semimicroscopic analysis. In the semimicroscopic analysis, conjugate heat transfer is analyzed for the domain with the radiator whose louver fin area is replaced by a porous media. The results with the proposed method show a good agreement with the experimental data. The proposed method can be used to predict flow and heat transfer characteristics of a realistic louver fin radiator with a reduced cost and sufficient accuracy.

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Correspondence to Nahmkeon Hur.

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Recommended by Editor Dongshin Shin

Sang Hyuk Lee is a Senior Researcher in the Department of Nuclear Equipment and Machinery Research at Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials. He received his Ph.D. from Sogang University in 2012, and worked as a Post-Doctoral Researcher in Multi-phenomena CFD Engineering Research Center (ERC). Currently, his research interests include multiphysics computational fluid dynamics.

Nahmkeon Hur is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Sogang University in Seoul, Korea and a director of Multi-phenomena CFD Engineering Research Center (ERC) funded by National Research Foundation of Korea. He received his Ph.D. from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1988. His research interests include multiphysics and multidynamics CFD and its application.

Seongwon Kang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Sogang University. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 2008 and joined Sogang University in 2010. His research interests include numerical methods for a complex geometry and turbulent flows with combustion.

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Lee, S.H., Hur, N. & Kang, S. An efficient method to predict the heat transfer performance of a louver fin radiator in an automotive power system. J Mech Sci Technol 28, 145–155 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-013-0951-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-013-0951-8

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