Browsing by Author "Topanta Sandoval, Ángel Danilo"

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    CFD simulation of structural modifications to a stepped furnace to increase heat transfer
    (Universidad Técnica de Cotopaxi (UTC). Facultad de Ciencias de la Ingeniería y Aplicadas. Electromecánica, 2026-08-19) Topanta Sandoval, Ángel Danilo; Chacha Guevara,, Ángel David; Pacheco Mena, Carlos Francisco
    This study presents a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation to analyze structural modifications to a stepped furnace used in the sugarcane juice cooking process. The methodology begins with thermal data collection during normal operation to identify the lowest-temperature area, followed by an energy balance and characterization of the furnace dimensions and temperature profiles. Structural modifications were evaluated by varying the floor inclination and step height. The results indicate that the configuration with a 45° angle and a +100 mm offset achieves the highest temperature in the cooking zone, reaching 514.8 K and representing a 47.9% increase compared with the initial conditions. The proposed modification improves heat-flow redistribution toward the third container and reduces the draft effect toward the chimney.