Assessment of experimental optical techniques for characterizing heat transfer using numerical simulations

This manuscript addresses the application of numerical simulations for assessing the error in the measurement of the bulk temperature along the laser beam of a 3D flow using a 2D Moire deflectometry analysis. To analyze the effect of different flow parameters on the error, a 3D computational model of an experimental system was developed. The simulated domain represents the well-known solution of the backward facing step in a rectangular channel but includes a hot-plate at the bottom of the step to enhance the heat transfer effects. The geometry resembles that found in a general heat exchanger. The difference between the computed bulk temperature of the flow and the average temperature obtained via the 2D Moire is analytically evaluated for various assumed general temperature profiles; the numerically computed profiles of temperature indicates that the error decreases with the channel aspect ratio. The use of CFD enables the determination of the flow topology and thus an evaluation of the 3D flow behavior that will cause the measurement error. A parametric study was performed for different flow conditions, namely, the aspect ratio of the channel, the inflow conditions (flow velocity or Reynolds number), and the temperature of the hot wall. The results indicate that the Moire technique is suitable for evaluating the bulk temperature in typical heat exchange devices and flow conditions