DOI: 10.1615/ICHMT.2009.CONV
ISBN Print: 978-1-56700-261-4
ISSN Online: 2642-3499
ISSN Flash Drive: 2642-3502
HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER UNDER AN INFANT RADIANT WARMER - DEVELOPMENT OF A NUMERICAL MODEL
ABSTRACT
The objective of this study is to investigate the physical processes taking place within a radiant warmer. A mathematical and computational model of a neonate under a radiant warmer, that incorporates the heat and mass transfer processes, is developed in order to provide a better understanding of how a radiant heat source interacts with a newborn. Another aim of this study is to validate that Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) can be used to resolve such problems. The FLUENT commercial package has been used to create this model and perform the calculations. In this initial study, results are obtained for a simplified model, both in terms of the geometry employed and the prescribed boundary conditions. The aim of this paper is to present a procedure of how to create and set up a model for the presented problem. The calculations have been performed for several different grids in order to verify the independency of the results obtained on the number of the elements. The results were numerically verified in terms of the convergence history, monitor data and the physical correctness. This study shows that the physical situation is unsteady and the results tend to oscillate almost periodically around a mean value. The results presented in the paper are qualitatively in agreement with the experimental data.