Natural ventilation of a generic cask under a transport hood – CFD and analytical modelling

In comparison with finite element simulation for structural and thermal behaviour, the use of computational fluid dynamics technique (hereafter CFD) to analyse, predict and design air and heat flow in package design is relatively novel. Arup has been using CFD techniques to investigate fluid and heat flow, and to use it as a tool to design fluid and heat flow across a broad spectrum of industries for over fifteen years. In order demonstrate the power of the technique and its benefits, the airflow and heat flow characteristics around a transport package during transit under a transport hood has been evaluated using the CFD technique. This paper presents the scenario, the model, the analysis technique and the results of this analysis. Comparison with test results is probably the best way to validate a CFD analysis. In the absence of test results, the analysis was verified by comparison with hand calculation solutions. The scenario as it stands is too complex and hand calculation solution cannot describe the scenario sufficiently. However, hand calculation solutions could be derived for simplified version of the scenario against which CFD analysis of the simplified scenario can be compared. The second half of this paper describes the verification carried out.