A numerical tool for the simulation of a diesel spray "stabilized cool flame" reactor

Paper presented at the 6th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, South Africa, 30 June - 2 July, 2008.A numerical investigation of the turbulent, multi-component and reactive flow-field that develops in a Stabilized Cool Flame Diesel fuel spray evaporation system, using a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code is presented. The physical and chemical phenomena are described by solving the respective mass, momentum, species, thermal and turbulent energy conservation equations. A dedicated numerical model is developed, based on the fitting parameter concept, in order to describe in sufficient detail the thermo-chemical effects of cool flame reactions. The model is based on physico-chemical reasoning coupled with information from available experimental data and chemical kinetics simulations. The developed model is validated and evaluated by comparing CFD predictions to experimental data from an atmospheric pressure, evaporating Diesel spray, Stabilized Cool Flame reactor. Temperature predictions are compared to measurements with satisfactory agreement. Computational results are used to obtain in-depth information about the complex flow-field developing in such innovative devices.vk201

Numerical modelling of heat transfer in gypsum plasterboards exposed to fire

Paper presented at the 6th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, South Africa, 30 June - 2 July, 2008.A numerical code for the simulation of the one-dimensional heat transfer through a commercially available gypsum board exposed to fire is presented. A parametric study regarding the physical properties of the gypsum is carried out. The predictions obtained with the in-house developed code are in good agreement with experimental data, when temperature dependent physical properties are taken into account. The good performance of gypsum boards under fire conditions, from the fire safety point of view, due to the dehydration/calcination process and the occurring energy absorption is pointed out by the numerical results.vk201