Modeling of natural convection

Numerical simulation with ANSYS Fluent, Code Saturne and OpenFOAM is compared in terms of the problem of natural convection in enclosed volume of air in the presence of a heating element. A comparative analysis of software on the basis of three turbulence models (k-ε, SST and WALE) is conducted. The results adequacy is assessed. Experimental data on the temperature profile in the central section are used as a benchmark criteria. Assumptions about the destructive factors reducing the accuracy of the solution are partly supported by the results of comparative analysis of the intensity of convective up-draught. A combined turbulence model k-ω SST is used to determine the effectiveness of the implementation of the wall function in Code Saturne and OpenFOAM for mesh with variable dimensionless distance in the range of 1 <; y⁺ <; 5 and 10 <; y⁺ <; 50.