Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of heat transfer in a polymeric membrane using finite volume method

The efficiency, robustness and reliability of recent numerical methods for finding solutions to flow problems have given rise to the implementation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) as a broadly used analysis method for engineering problems like membrane separation system. The CFD modeling in this study observes steady and unsteady (transient) heat flux and temperature profiles in a polymeric (cellulose acetate) membrane. This study is novel due to the implementation of user defined scalar (UDS) diffusion equation by using user-defined functions (UDFs) infinite volume method (FVM). Some details of the FVM used by the solver are carefully discussed when implementing terms in the governing equation and boundary conditions (BC). The contours of temperature due to high-temperature gradient are reported for steady and unsteady problems.