Evaluation of confined natural and forced convection predictions by different turbulence models

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the capacity of two equation turbulence models to reproduce mean and fluctuating quantities in the case of both natural convection and isothermal flows.

Design/methodology/approach

Numerical predictions of mean velocity profiles, air and wall temperatures as well as turbulent kinetic energy by three different two equation models (standard k‐ε, renormalisation group k‐ε and shear‐stress transport‐k‐ω) are compared with corresponding experimental values.

Findings

The prediction of mean velocities and temperatures is in all cases satisfactory. On the other hand, the prediction of turbulent quantities is less precise.

Originality/value

The three models under consideration in this paper can be used for engineering applications such as HVAC calculations.

Citation

Omri, M. and Galanis, N. (2009), "Evaluation of confined natural and forced convection predictions by different turbulence models", International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, Vol. 19 No. 1, pp. 5-24. https://doi.org/10.1108/09615530910922125