Backward facing step: from fluid flow to conjugate heat transfer with the coupling library preCICE

• Published in: IOP conference series. Materials Science and Engineering 2024-08, Vol.1312 (1), p.12007
• Main Authors: Caccia, C G, Corti, M, Della Torre, A, Masarati, P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Backward facing steps; Computational fluid dynamics; Conjugates; Coupling; Fluid flow; Heat transfer; Numerical models; Open source software; Reynolds number; Turbulent flow
• ISSN: 1757-8981; 1757-899X
• DOI: 10.1088/1757-899X/1312/1/012007

The Backward Facing Step geometry is a widely used benchmark problem in Computational Fluid Dynamics literature that is exploitable to validate models, solution methods, and software implementations. Despite a simple geometry, it shows phenomena like separation, reattachment, and re-circulation zones, under different flow conditions (i.e. different Reynolds number or turbulence parameters) it gives different measurable results, suitable for benchmarking activities [1]. Also regarding heat transfer analysis, the backward facing step can be used to investigate a wide variety of operating conditions (both for simple heat transfer cases and coupling heat transfer between the fluid region and a neighboring solid region giving rise to a more complex conjugate heat transfer model) [2]. This work uses the backward facing step as a test case to validate a numerical model built with the open-source Software OpenFOAM 10. The fluid and solid subdomains are connected through the open-source coupling library preCICE [3]. The results, taken from simulations carried out by the authors, show good agreement with the data available in the literature.