Cooling Concrete Aggregates: Challenges in Design and Simulation

Using hot aggregates in concrete making results in drop in compressive strength of the produced concrete. Various methods have been proposed for cooling concrete aggregates. In this paper we propose a modified design for a cooling drum to be used in this regard. Preliminary simulation of the heat flow during the cooling process in the drum is analyzed with the objective of optimizing the design and achieving minimum cooling time with the least possible power. A finite element model for the new design is proposed and discussed. Many of the challenges facing the numerical simulation are addressed. The results of the finite element analysis of the modified design are presented and compared with similar ones in the literature. Key-Words: Cooling porous material, convection heat transfer, finite element, cooling drums.