Comparative Study Between OpenFOAM and STAR-CCM+ for HVAC Airflow Analysis

Vehicle air conditioning and heating system is one of the most important part of an automobile system. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is widely used to predict air flow rates and distribution in such HVACs. Commercial CFD codes such as FLUENT and STAR-CCM+ are widely used in simulation for industrial research. But usage of these software comes with a heavy cost. Cost is one such parameter where industries try to bring down, without compromising on the deliverables in product development. OpenFOAM is one such license free, open source code that can be used to modify and compile its code based on the needs and the physics of the problem in hand. This study assesses the performance of airflow magnitude and distribution in an HVAC using OpenFOAM. The assessment uses the same mesh with initial and boundary conditions. The results between STAR-CCM+ and OpenFOAM are compared in terms of grid-independent solutions using various scalar and vector plots. The results thus obtained is also validated through testing and found to be within acceptable limits.