The goal of the project was to benchmark an open source CFD toolkit, OpenFOAM, against a commercial CFD package used in industry. The goal was to successfully produce simulations regarding heat transfer, through the modes of conduction and convection, in OpenFOAM and that they be relatively similar with commercial industry standard software results.

These results will not only lead to new insights into the flow and heat transfer mechanisms of an industrial heat treatment oven, but will also enable the use of more open sourced software at industry standard.

For further information regarding this project or for information on VPAC’s engineering solutions and services, please contact VPAC at engineering@vpac.org [8] or phone +61 3 9647 5433, or visit www.vpac.org. [9]