The use of computational fluid dynamics to study furnace effects in ITS-90 fixed points realizations. (September 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Castro, P.; del Campo, D.; Lecuna, R.; García Izquierdo, C.
• Is Part Of: Measurement. Volume 91(2016)
• Page Start: 703
• Page End: 706
• Publication Date: 2016-09
• Subjects: Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) -- Finite volume method (FVM) software -- International Temperature Scale (ITS-90) -- Fixed points -- Thermal fluxes -- Uncertainty; Weights and measures -- Periodicals; Measurement -- Periodicals; Measurement; Weights and measures; Periodicals; 530.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.measurement.2015.11.044
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0263-2241

Abstract

Highlights: Knowledge of the influence of the thermal fluxes on ITS-90 fixed points. Numerical heat transfer modeling to understand the thermal effects of the cell. Characterization of the evolution of the liquid–solid interface of fixed points. Comparison with experimental results of several National Measurement Institutes. Abstract: Together with the impurities, the thermal fluxes are one of the major sources of uncertainty during the realization of the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90) defining fixed points. The use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a valuable tool to develop models that describe the time evolution of the phase transformation (essentially the evolution of the solid–liquid interface) as a function of given theoretical assumptions and given parameters (furnace thermal gradients, freezing initiation, ambient temperature and insulation). The models can be validated by observing the impact of the selected parameters on the observed corresponding melting curves and used to achieve a full understanding of these thermal effects and their impact on uncertainty. This paper proposes an ITS-90 metallic fixed points CFD model together with some results about the influence of the furnace thermal gradients and the freezing initiation techniques.