Author(s)

R. A. Pitarma, J. E. Ramos & M. G. Carvalho

Abstract

This paper presents two techniques (models), one computational and another experimental, to study the three-dimensional turbulent non-isothermal flow in refrigerated chambers. The computational model consists on a numerical procedure which solves, in finite-volume method, the three-dimensional timeaveraged equations for the conservation of mass, momentum, energy and concentration of species. The effect of turbulence is described by the k-ε model. The predict results were experimentally validated through the comparison with measurements taken from an experimental reduced-scale model, designed to provide similarity with the real chamber. Due to the limitations of the similarity theory based on Prandtl, Reynolds and Archimedes numbers, a simple physical modelling technique, based on the dimensional analysis, was used to derive the physical properties of the laboratory model. In order to demonstrate the models applicability, two-case study of refrigerated chambers (natural convection and forced convection) was performed for the simulation and visualization of the thermal, humidity and air flow patterns. Agreement between measured and predicted values was very satisfactory for engineering purposes.

Keywords