An Investigation into the Influence of the Airflow Path on the Convective Heat Transfer for an Eddy Current Retarder Turntable

Abstract

In order to improve the convective heat transfer relating to an eddy current retarder, the finite element model has been used to assess the performances of different possible designs. In particular, assuming the steady running state of retarder as the working condition, flow and temperature fields have been obtained for the rotor. The influence of airflow path on heat dissipation has been analysed, and the influence of the temperature field distribution on the performance of retarder has been discussed accordingly. The results show that when the steady running state of the turntable is considered, the maximum temperature is lower, the level of turbulence flow is mitigated, and the temperature distribution becomes more regular. These factors contribute to improve the heat dissipation ability of the retarder.