[gushrqcosta]

Hello! I'm a graduation student trying to develop my first research ever and i chose the CFD area. So, with that in mind, please forgive me if i appear ignorant to obvious things. I'm a real begginer on this field.

What i want to propose for my research is to validate openfoam by obtaining heat transfer coefficient in different conditions and comparing the results with the usually studied correlations.

I'm having some issues as to how to narrow down and decide the conditions of my simulation. So far i have decided that i'll simulate hot air with an external and turbulent flow around a cylinder and my supervisor has oriented me to use buyoantFoam (OpenFOAM v10).

However, i can't seem to find any reasons or "hints" that could justify a decision between a natural or forced convection.

I know that buyoantFoam (as stated in it's name) is assumedly used for natural convections, but i don't know if it is specifically restricted to natural convections or is it able to also simulate forced convections? And if so, how can i decide?


(OBS: just for additional context, so far i've already decided some conditions such as: dimensions of the cylinder, turbulence model, thermodynamics models, compressible/incompressible, temperature, etc. It's just the natural/forced decision that i couldn't yet make.)

[LuckyTran]

Because buoyantFoam has a heat transfer tutorial in OpenFOAM and the others do not.

Btw buoyantFOAM does support turbulence models.

[gushrqcosta]

Originally Posted by LuckyTran

Because buoyantFoam has a heat transfer tutorial in OpenFOAM and the others do not.

Btw buoyantFOAM does support turbulence models.

I'm sorry but i think there was a misunderstanding here. I am just specifically asking how can i choose between a natural or forced convection to simulate? What reasons should i have to go on with one or the oher? Does the fact that i'm using buyoantFoam already defines that only natural convection shall be simulated or should i look for other reasons on how to decide it?