Title: Three-dimensional Navier-Stokes simulation for passenger compartment cooling

Authors: T. Han

Addresses: Fluid Mechanics Department, General Motors Research Laboratories, Warren, Michigan 48090-9055, USA

Abstract: The Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations, together with the transport of energy equation, were solved in a time-dependent form to simulate passenger compartment cooling. The effect of air density variation due to temperature was included as a buoyant force term in the analysis through a Boussinesq approximation. These transport equations were discretized, based on a finite volume method in a transformed domain. A general-body fitted curvilinear co-ordinate system was used to model interior geometries in the passenger compartment. The computational results for a J-car passenger compartment cooling showed overall flow information such as the propagation of cold air fronts, turbulent jet penetration and mixing, and buoyance-induced recirculating flows. Comparison of the available experimental data with predictions using isothermal wall boundary conditions showed excellent agreement in the prediction of the front breath-level temperature.

Keywords: HVAC; passenger compartment cooling; hot soak; cooldown; Navier-Stokes simulation; mathematical modelling; thermal analysis; finite volume method; cold air fronts; turbulent jets; jet penetration; mixing; recirculating flows.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.1989.061535

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 1989 Vol.10 No.2, pp.175 - 186

Published online: 26 May 2014 *

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