Efficient Simulation of Convective Ovens in Automotive Paintshops

Abstract

Heat transfer modeling of large industrial ovens such as those used in automotive paintshops is difficult due to the large and multiple scales and long curing times. The flow inside a convective oven is turbulent, and the process includes large temperature gradients. An efficient simulation requires a simplified and localized model of the heat transfer coupling. We present a novel method with three ingredients: localization using local Nusselt numbers of the oven nozzles, projection of Nusselt number profiles onto the target, and efficient conduction modeling on a coarse background mesh. The approach, which was developed in a research project together with the Swedish automotive industry, makes it possible to accurately simulate a curing oven with close to real-time performance. The simulation results are demonstrated to be in close agreement with measurements from automotive production.