Numerical Coupling between the Finite Volume Method and the Finite Element Method for Modeling the Turbulent Heat Transfer in an AFPM Machine

Samenvatting

The Axial-Flux Permanent Magnet (AFPM) machine is a specific type of electric machinery, consisting of two disks, which is employed as either a motor or generator. Applications can be found in the automotive and medical sectors. For typically considered materials, excessive heat can be generated, causing possible irreversible damage to the magnets, bonding materials, or other structural parts. This thesis discusses the turbulent heat transfer present for a variety of operating ranges and the influence of an air-inlet. A conjugate axisymmetric heat transfer model is developed, which employs the Finite Volume Method (FVM) in the fluid domain, and employs the Finite Element Method (FEM) in the solid domain. Open-source software OpenFOAM and Nutils solve the fluid and solid domain, respectively. A comparison of several turbulence models is provided, using a benchmark problem with experimental data available, i.e., the Backward-Facing Step. Subsequently, a framework for the multiphysics model is constructed, deriving energy models for both fluid and solid domains. The domains are coupled at their interface using the coupling library preCICE, which is capable of solving multiple domains in parallel. The results of a turbulent analysis for the AFPM show an optimum disk gap-length for heat transfer in the absence of an air-inlet. The introduction of an air-inlet near the rotation axis shows the opposite behavior, as it improves the heat transfer at lower and higher gap-length values.

Datum prijs	26 mei 2021
Originele taal	Engels
Begeleider	Léo A.J. Friedrich (Afstudeerdocent 1), Clemens V. Verhoosel (Afstudeerdocent 2) & Robin Willems (Afstudeerdocent 2)