Study of a sea water heat exchanger using Computing Fluid Dynamics

Abstract

In order to have a better visualization of the heat transfer that might occur in a tubular seawater heat exchanger, I have created a simulation using Ansysy Fluent program. The first stage of the simulation is the representation of the subject in the Geometry. The next step is the mesh in a finite number of cells. All settings and information defined in the first two phases are taken in the third (Setup), where are imposed boundary conditions (the input and output). The next step is the calculation (Solutions) where the problem is solved iteratively using one of the methods of calculation selected. The software can solve numerical equations of Navier-Stokes flow, continuity equation, energy conservation etc. that are available in the database of the program. The last part is especially designed for the analysis and interpretation of results (distribution of speeds, temperatures, pressures etc.). Due to the fact that many types of heat pump used as working fluid water, a mixture of water and glycol or Freon, I have required two ways of calculation: the first in which the working fluid is water and the second in where water is replaced by a solution consisting of 50% glycol and 50% water.