UDF to change heat transfer coefficient with wall temperature
 

Hi

I need to change the heat transfer coefficient on a wall with changing temperature on the wall. I have written a simple UDF to change the heat transfer coefficient, which is interpreting into Fluent with no problems, but when I run a monitor on the wall for Total surface heat transfer coefficient it is giving me strange answers with negative values. I know that very low values of ln() will give a negative answer but anything over ln(0.4) in this equation will give a postivie answer. At a temperature of 297, this equation should give a h value of 3.06, but instead it keeps returning a value of 0.0002.

Is my UDF too basic? or is the problem with my monitor?

#include "udf.h"

DEFINE_PROFILE(HTC, thread, index)
{
face_t f;
real Temp = 293.15;
F_PROFILE(f, thread, index) = 1.2854*log(Temp - 293) + 1.2822;
}

Or should i be using the return HTC function as is used in DEFINE_PROPERTY which change with temperature also?

You cannot use Define_Profile this way. There needs to be a loop that loops over each element on the boundary/face of interest.

I ripped the udf below out of the UDF manual. You need to have something of this form (take out the velocity stuff and enter your temperature stuff).

Currently I think your UDF will only apply this correction to the first element of the face!

Let me know how you get on.

/************************************************** *********************
vprofile.c
UDF for specifying steady-state velocity profile boundary condition
************************************************** **********************/
#include "udf.h"

DEFINE_PROFILE(inlet_x_velocity, thread, position)
{
real x[ND_ND]; /* this will hold the position vector */
real y;
face_t f;

begin_f_loop(f, thread)
{
F_CENTROID(x,f,thread);
y = x[1];
F_PROFILE(f, thread, position) = 20. - y*y/(.0745*.0745)*20.;
}
end_f_loop(f, thread)
}

Thanks Dan!

I had tried some variations of this but didnt get anything to give the right ht coefficient. I will give it another try just changing the details to what I need.

I read in a couple of differnet threads on this forum that fluent doesnt give accurate readings of heat transfer coefficient from its surface monitor readout and I'd need another UDF to findout what fluent is settin gthe heat transfer coefficient to.

Hi Emmkell, did you solve your problem? I mean did write a UDF which change the heat transfer coefficient on a wall in terms of the wall temperature?
if you solved your problem could you help me? I have a similar problem!
this is my email: ghasemian.a@gmail.com

I got this working, I forgot to post it up here, using your recommendation Daniel, thank you!

I had to change y = x[1] to y = x[0] for some reason, i didnt understand what it meant at the time but i understand now that it is picking the values in the x array in either cell 0,1 or 2, so the fact that it worked for me must be something to do with how i set up my geometry?

Changing the wall thickness also helped.

#include "udf.h"

/* UDF Define Temperature dependant heat transfer coefficient) */

DEFINE_PROFILE(htc, thread, position)
{
face_t f;
real x[ND_ND]; /* this will hold the position vector */
real y = F_T(f,thread);

begin_f_loop(f, thread)
{
F_CENTROID(x,f,thread);
y = x[0];
F_PROFILE(f, thread, position) = 0.7942 + 1.3915*log(y);
}
end_f_loop(f, thread)
}


Wohoo! Now on to the next UDF problem!