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Conjugate heat transfer analysis with Ansys CFX
The ESO has commissioned CADFEM to perform a heat transfer analysis for the air conditioning system at the ALMA radio telescope facility in Chile using simulation.

Tolerance analysis of a radio telescope anchor

Sector: Machinery and plant engineeringSpecialist field: Heat Transfer

The ESO (European Southern Observatory) has commissioned CADFEM to perform a conjugate heat transfer analysis for the ALMA radio telescope facility in Chile. The flow simulation in Ansys CFX is intended to optimize the design of the air conditioning system (HVAC).

Summary

Task

For the absolute accuracy of astronomical observations, a specific operating temperature of the ALMA observatory structure is essential. A flow simulation should ensure an optimal design of the air conditioning system (HVAC).

Solution

The turbulent flow around the calibration target causes a cooling effect of the housing structure. To clarify this effect on the temperature profiles at the solid structure, a conjugate heat transfer analysis was performed in Ansys CFX. A specified heat generation was taken into account for the foil heaters.

Customer benefits

Simulating the interaction between the flow field and temperature directly in a coupled analysis saves costs for additional simulation loops and leads to reliable results.

Project Details

Task

The calibration target is installed in an antenna of the ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter Array) project. A turbulent airflow is generated using an HVAC system (heating, ventilation and air conditioning). However, for the absolute accuracy of astronomical observations, a specific and constant operating temperature of the structure is essential. Various load cases were performed in order to simulate the ambient air conditions and their influence on the operating structure.


Customer Benefit

Usually, only a vaguely estimated heat exchange with the environment (e.g., convection coefficients) is used as a boundary condition for the thermal structure model. The exact simulation of the interaction between the flow field and the temperature directly in a coupled analysis saves costs for additional simulation loops and leads to reliable results.


Solution

The airflow velocity is low in the inner areas of the calibration target, which leads to an intense heating of the air by the hot outer walls of the observatory. However, the turbulent flow around the calibration target causes some cooling effect of the enclosure structure. To clarify this effect on the temperature profiles at the solid structure, a conjugate heat transfer analysis was performed. A specified heat generation was taken into account for the foil heaters. Both the fluid volume and the solid structure had to be modeled and meshed. Due to symmetry, a half model was sufficient.

Images: © ESO (European Southern Observatory)


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