Fluent HeatTransfer WS06 S2S Model

Workshop: Modeling Natural Convection and Radiation
ANSYS FLUENT Heat Transfer Modeling
1 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

Introduction
• This tutorial demonstrates how to model radiation and natural conduction heat
transfer in an enclosure
• This tutorial demonstrates how to perform the following tasks:

− Use the surface-to-surface (S2S) radiation model in ANSYS Fluent
− Set boundary conditions for a heat transfer problem with natural convection and radiation
− Select solver settings for buoyant flow in an enclosure
− Postprocess radiation quantities

Prerequisites
• This tutorial assumes that you are familiar with the ANSYS FLUENT interface and
that you have a good understanding of basic setup and solution procedures.
• Note that some steps will not be shown explicitly.

Problem Description: Square Enclosure
Heated Wall
473.15 K
g = 9.81 m/s²
Tamb = 293.15 K
The computational domain is a square enclosure with edge length =
0.25 m in an ambient environment at T = 293.15 K. One wall of the
enclosure is heated to 473.15 K. The other walls are insulated by a
5 cm layer of insulation that will be modeled using thin wall inputs.
Preparation
• Copy the file rad.msh.gz to your working directory
• Start the 3D double-precision version of ANSYS FLUENT
− If available, it is recommended to use 4 or more parallel process

Setup and Solution
• Read Mesh
− Read the mesh file rad.msh.gz
• File -> Read -> Mesh
• Display Mesh
− Use Colors… button in Mesh Display panel to color
boundaries by ID
− Domain is a cube
− Each wall is its own boundary zone, use right-click to
identify zone name
− An all hex mesh is used to reduce cell count
• Mesh Check

Units and Setting Up Physics (Energy and Viscous)
• In Setting Up Physics, activate

Energy
• Click Radiation… and select the

Surface to Surface Model
• Flow is laminar so no need to

open Viscous Model panel
− See Appendix

Setting Up Physics: S2S Model
• Click Settings in the Radiation Model panel

to open the View Factors and Clustering
panel and click Apply to All Walls
• Keep other default settings and click OK to
close the panel
In cases with a large number of radiating surfaces, the computational expense can
be reduced by grouping the mesh faces on radiating boundaries into surface
clusters. Surface clusters are made by starting from a mesh face and adding its
neighbors and their neighbors in turn until a specified number of faces per surface
cluster are collected.
The default value of 1 is suitable for a small problem such as this. For larger more
complex problems you can increase this number to reduce the memory requirement
for the view factor file. This may also reduce the computational expense, however
at the cost of some accuracy. In this tutorial the influence of clusters will be
examined.

Setting Up Physics: View Factor Calculation
• Click Compute/Write/Read… in the

Radiation Model panel
• Name the S2S file rad_1.s2s.gz and click OK
− ANSYS Fluent will print an informational message
describing the progress of the view factor
calculation in the console window
− It is recommended to compress the view factor
file by providing a .gz or .Z extension after the
name as the file size of uncompressed files can
be very large

Setting Up Physics: Materials
• In the Materials Panel, select

"incompressible-ideal-gas" for
Density
• Set the following material
properties
− Specific heat = 1021 j/kg-k
− Thermal conductivity = .0371 w/m-k
− Viscosity = 2.485e-5 kg/m-s
• Click Change/Create and close the
panel

Setting Up Physics: Materials
• Define a new solid material

named "insulation" with the
following properties
− Density = 50 kg/m3
− Specific heat = 800 j/kg-k
− Thermal conductivity = 0.09 w/m-k
• Select No when the prompt below
appears

Setting Up Physics: Boundary Conditions for Heated Wall
• Set the boundary conditions for the

wall w-low-x as follows
− Thermal Conditions = Temperature
− Temperature (k) = 473.15
− Internal Emissivity = 0.95

Setting Up Physics: Boundary Conditions for Insulated Walls

wall w-high-x as follows
− Thermal Conditions = Mixed
− Heat Transfer Coefficient (w/m2-k) = 5
− Free Stream Temperature (k) = 293.15
− External Emissivity = 0.75
− External Radiation Temperature = 293.15
− Wall Thickness (m) = 0.05
− Material Name = insulation

Setting Up Physics: Copy Wall BC
• Right click w-high-x in the tree and

select Copy…
• Select w-high-z and w-low-z and click
Copy

Setting Up Physics: Boundary Conditions for Insulated Walls

wall w-high-y as follows
− Thermal Conditions = Mixed
− Heat Transfer Coefficient (w/m2-k) = 3
− Free Stream Temperature (k) = 293.15
− External Emissivity = 0.75
− External Radiation Temperature = 293.15
− Wall Thickness (m) = 0.05
− Material Name = insulation
• (not shown) Copy these boundary
conditions to w-low-y as done Note: The walls on this slide are horizontal and therefore
the heat transfer coefficient should be different from that
previously with w-high-x entered previously for the three vertical walls

Setting Up Physics: Operating Conditions
• In the operating conditions panel, define gravity in the

negative Y direction
• Leave Specified Operating Density unchecked
− The result of this is that every iteration the solver will compute
the volume average density and use that for the operating
density
− This would not be a good choice for models with pressure
boundaries but it is perfectly reasonable for flow in an enclosure
• Although it appears in the panel, the operating
temperature is only used if Boussinesq has been
selected for density in the materials panel, so it can be
ignored here
Solving: Methods
• Choose "Coupled" for the Pressure-Velocity Coupling

Scheme
− This generally provides more robust convergence
• Choose Body Force Weighted for Pressure
− In Fluent, you need to use PRESTO! or Body Force Weighted
whenever there is buoyancy
− In most cases the solution behavior is similar with either
choice
• Choose "Pseudo Transient"

Solving: Initialization
• Click Initialize
− Default hybrid initialization method will be used
• Solution is initialized here in order to be
able to create an iso-surface to use for
monitoring the solution

Solving: Create a Monitoring Surface
• Create an iso-surface named zz_center_z at z=0 to

monitor the average temperature
• This surface will be used to monitor the average
temperature while the solution iterates

Solving: Report Definitions
• Create a Report Definition for the area-weighted

average temperature on the surface
Select Report Plot to view the progress of the

temperature as the iterations progress. Report File
is optional for this problem.

Solving: Run Calculation
• Save the case file before starting to

iterate
− Name = rad_a_1.cas.gz
• Set the number of iterations to 300
• Click Advanced and set the Time Step
Method option to User Specified and set
Pseudo Time Step (s) to 1
• Click Calculate

Solving: Run Calculation
Residuals have reached the convergence criteria and the

report plot is stable, indicating solution has converged.
Save case and data files before continuing.

Postprocessing: Energy Balance
• Select all walls for the energy balance

• The net value is -0.026 W
• The energy input from the heated wall is 63.0 W
• The energy imbalance is therefore 0.04%
− Good energy balance based on heated wall

Postprocessing: Radiation Heat Transfer Rate
• Change the option to Radiation Heat Transfer

rate and click Compute
• Compare values with those of total heat
transfer rate from the previous slide
Check values at heated wall: Radiation = 51.4 W, Total = 63.0 W -> Radiation is dominant mode of heat transfer

Postprocessing: Contours
Temperature contours on z midsurface. Temperature contours on walls. As Radiation heat flux contours show
Nearly horizontal bands of similar expected, for any cross section parallel positive values at the heated wall
temperature indicate thermal stratification, to the heated wall, temperature (radiation into domain) and negative
which is an expected feature in a heated increases with y-coordinate. values at other walls.
enclosure.

Postprocessing: Velocity Vectors
Velocity vectors show flow acceleration along

the heated wall and resulting recirculation
pattern across the enclosure.

Postprocessing: View Factors
• Click S2S Information and compute view factors and

incident radiation from w-high-x to the other walls
S2S Information Output in Console Window
The view factors are all 0.2, which is a good

value for a square box. The incident radiation
to w-low-x is higher because it is at the lowest
temperature of all the walls.

Postprocessing: Create Line for XY Plotting
• Create a line across w-high-z to plot

temperature
− Name = zz_x_side
− Use end points shown in picture at right

Postprocessing: Temperature Plot
• Plot temperature along the line zz_x_side in the

positive x direction
• Enable Write to File and enter tp_1.xy for the file name
• Save the case and data file again before proceeding

Setting Up Physics: S2S Inputs
• In the following steps, the effect of clustering on the

results will be investigated
• Begin by changing Faces Per Surface Cluster to 10 in
the View Factors and Clustering panel, clicking Apply
to All Walls and then clicking OK to close the panel
• (not shown) In the Radiation Model panel, click
Compute/Write/Read… and enter a name of
rad_10.s2s.gz for the new view factor file

Solving: Initialize and Calculate
• In the Solving tab, initialize the solution again

• Leave the number of iterations at 300 and calculate
− Convergence should be similar to previous run
• Save the case and data files as rad_10.cas.gz,
rad_10.dat.gz
• In a manner similar to slide 29, make an xy plot of
temperature on line zz_x_side and write the xy-plot
data to a file named tp_10.xy

Additional runs
• Repeat the procedure of the previous 2 slides for

100, 400, and 800 faces per surface cluster
• Save files with same naming convention
− For example
• S2S file: rad_100.s2s.gz
• Case/Data files: rad_100.cas.gz, rad_100.dat.gz
• XY plot file: tp_100.xy

Postprocessing: Surface Cluster ID Contours
• In Contours panel, unselect Node Values and select

6 walls under Surfaces
Surface clusters for 800 faces per surface cluster

Postprocessing: Temperature Plots
• Select File… in the Plots section of

the Postprocessing tab
• Click Add and select tp_1.xy
• Change Legend Title to Faces Per
Cluster and enter 1 in the box
below Legend Entries
• Click Change Legend Entry
• Repeat for tp_10.xy, tp_100.xy,
tp_400.xy, tp_800.xy
− For each file, replace "1" in the field
below Legend Entries with the
appropriate number

Postprocessing: Temperature Plot Axes
• Click Axes… at the bottom of the File XY Plot panel

on the previous slide
• For the X-Axis, change the Number Format Type to
"float" and set Precision to 3, then click Apply
− If you don't click Apply before selecting the other axis in this
panel, it will not remember your changes
• (not shown) Select the Y-Axis, change the Number
Format Type to "float" and set Precision to 2
• Click Apply, then Close

Postprocessing: Temperature Profile Plot for All Runs
• Temperature profiles are reasonably similar

for 1 and 10 faces per cluster
• More pronounced differences for higher
values
• Contours of cluster ID in previous slide
showed that at 800 faces per surface cluster
is very coarse
− Remember that we are using view Face to Face for
view factor calculation basis, meaning that all of
these cases begin with the same set of view
factors for every mesh face, but different
outcomes result after clustering is performed

Using the Partial Enclosure Option with S2S
• Read the first saved case file (rad_a_1.cas.gz)

• Open the boundary conditions panel for w-low-x
and unselect Participates in View Factor
Calculation
• Click OK to close the panel
• Click OK in the Information panel that appears
− Making changes to the participating zones invalidates the
existing view factors

S2S Settings: Participating Boundary Zones
• Open the Radiation Model panel and

select Settings to open the View Factors
and Clustering panel
• Click the Select… button for Zones
Participating in View Factor Calculation
• Enter 473.15 K for the Non-Participating
Zones Temperature and click OK to close
the panel
− This is to match the boundary condition
temperature for wall-low-x
Note that you could have also just opened this panel and used
• (not shown) Click Compute/Write/Read… the arrows to define w-low-x as a non-participating zone. The
in the Radiation Model panel and save outcome is identical no matter whether this panel is used or the
boundary condition panel and it can be helpful to know both
the view factor file as rad_partial.s2s.gz ways to do this.

Initialize and Calculate
• (not shown) In the Solving tab, click

Initialize
• Save the case and data file as
rad_partial.cas.gz, rad_partial.dat.gz
• Calculate the solution
− Convergence behavior should be similar to
previous runs
• Save the case and data files when solution
converges

Postprocessing: Radiation Heat Transfer Rates
• Select all walls and report the Radiation

Heat Transfer Rate
− The value for wall-low-x is reported as 0 because
it was excluded from the view factor calculation
− The remaining walls report similar rates to those
obtained in the case with all walls participating
(slide 24), which indicates in this case the use of
a partial enclosure saved computation time
without significantly affecting the results

Postprocessing: Compare Temperature Profiles
• Open the Solution XY Plot panel, select Static

Temperature for the Y Axis Function, and select
the line zz_x_side
• Click Load File and select tp_1.xy, then click Plot
Results are again very similar, confirming the use

of partial enclosure did not significantly affect the
results. The small differences that are observed
may be important in some cases but will also not
matter in many cases.
Summary
• In this workshop you

− Combined natural convection and radiation in a three dimensional square enclosure,
using the Surface to Surface (S2S) radiation model
− Applied solver settings favorable for convergence of buoyant flow in an enclosure
− Postprocessed radiation results
− Investigated how S2S model settings affected the results
• Faces per surface cluster
• Partial enclosure

Appendix

Rayleigh Number Calculation
Fluid properties for air
r 0.811 kg/m³ (T=435 K)

m 2.49E-05 kg/m·s Dynamic viscosity
n 3.07E-05 m²/s Kinematic viscosity
Cp 1021 J/kg·K
k 0.0371 W/m·K
a 4.48051E-05 m²/s Thermal diffusivity
b 0.00230 1/K Thermal expansion coefficient
Pr 6.85E-01 -
g 9.81 m/s² Gravity

h 0.25 m enclosure length
Tamb 435 K
Twall 473.15 K (assumed)
Rayleigh number
Ra 9.77E+06 - laminar Laminar flow for Ra = 9.8e6

Fluent HeatTransfer WS06 S2S Model

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Workshop: Modeling Natural Convection and Radiation

ANSYS FLUENT Heat Transfer Modeling

1 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• This tutorial demonstrates how to perform the following tasks:

2 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

3 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

5 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

6 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• In Setting Up Physics, activate

• Click Radiation… and select the

• Flow is laminar so no need to

7 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• Click Settings in the Radiation Model panel

8 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• Click Compute/Write/Read… in the

9 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• In the Materials Panel, select

10 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• Define a new solid material

11 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• Set the boundary conditions for the

12 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• Set the boundary conditions for the

13 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• Right click w-high-x in the tree and

14 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• Set the boundary conditions for the

15 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• In the operating conditions panel, define gravity in the

• Choose "Coupled" for the Pressure-Velocity Coupling

17 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

18 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• Create an iso-surface named zz_center_z at z=0 to

19 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• Create a Report Definition for the area-weighted

Select Report Plot to view the progress of the

20 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• Save the case file before starting to

21 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

Residuals have reached the convergence criteria and the

Save case and data files before continuing.

22 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• Select all walls for the energy balance

23 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• Change the option to Radiation Heat Transfer

24 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

25 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

Velocity vectors show flow acceleration along

26 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• Click S2S Information and compute view factors and

The view factors are all 0.2, which is a good

27 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• Create a line across w-high-z to plot

28 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• Plot temperature along the line zz_x_side in the

29 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• In the following steps, the effect of clustering on the

30 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• In the Solving tab, initialize the solution again

31 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• Repeat the procedure of the previous 2 slides for

32 © 2017 ANSYS, Inc. December 29, 2017

• In Contours panel, unselect Node Values and select