Computational investigation of three-dimensional flow and conjugate heat transfer in a laser-created channel. Ph.D. Thesis
In this study a model has been developed to predict three-dimensional fluid flow and two-dimensional conjugate heat transfer in a laser-created cavity where assist gas is used. The model emphasizes the coupling of the conduction and convection heat transfer through the channel. It is very common to use assist gas to blow molten or vaporized material away when laser machining is in process. Many efforts have been devoted to the study of the conduction and radiation heat transfer phenomena, while less attention has focused on the convection heat transfer within the laser-created cavity. Before the study of the convection heat transfer can be performed, the flow condition within the channel must be determined. The air flow inside the channel is a complicated three-dimensional flow which cannot be described using boundary layer assumptions. In this study, the air flow within a laser-created cavity is modeled using the complete Navier-Stokes equations which are computationally solved using the finite difference method. The four boundary transfinite interpolation method is employed to transform the flow channel from an arbitrary shape into a cubic computational domain. With the knowledge of fluid flow conditions, the conjugate heat transfer problem with conduction in the solid material and convection heat transfer within the fluid is solved using a flux correction method. The conduction in the solid material is solved using the boundary element method and the convection heat transfer is solved using the finite difference method. The computational results agree well with available experimental data.
- Research Organization:
- University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 218161
- Report Number(s):
- N--96-21376; NIPS--96-34669
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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