Evaluating the influence of the width of inlet slot on the prediction of indoor airflow: Comparison with experimental data

The aim of this work is to investigate the influence of two values of inlet slot width on the velocity characteristics and turbulent intensity of the airflow inside a rectangular room. The experimental data used to check the numerical results concerns a rectangular room where the air is supplied horizontally on the upper left and is exhausted through an opening on the lower right on the opposite side. The performance of three turbulence models, standard k-?, RNG k-?, and k-ω, in predicting the three-dimensional airflow in that room has also been investigated. The results for Reynolds number of 5000 are presented for dimensionless horizontal velocities and turbulent kinetic energy for two planes of the room and two inlet arrangements, one opening as large as the room and another with half of the width of the room. The results have indicated that the main features of the flow were captured by the three turbulence models investigated. On the whole, the performance of the standard k-? model was better than those of the other two turbulence models. In particular, the k-ω model performed better in the configuration with the largest air opening than in that with the smallest one, while the RNG k-? model presented the opposite behavior. The comparative study between both geometries demonstrated that for slots much smaller than the width of the room, three-dimensional effects become important.     

Experimental and numerical study of a full scale ventilated enclosure: Comparison of four two equations closure turbulence models

Full-scale experimental and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods are used to investigate the velocity and temperature fields in a mechanically ventilated enclosure. Detailed airflow fields are measured in three cases of ventilation air temperature: an isothermal case, a hot case and a cold case. The ventilation system creates an axisymmetric jet which is developing near the ceiling. The experimental data are used to test four two equations turbulence models: a k–ε realizable model, a k–ε RNG model, a k–ω model and a k–ω SST model. It is found that, even if the models can predict reasonably the hot and isothermal cases global values of temperature and velocity, none of the models is reliable concerning the cold case. Moreover, a detailed analysis of the jet shows that none of the models is able to predict the exact experimental velocity and temperature fields.     

The effect of ceiling configurations on indoor air motion and ventilation flow rates

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effects of a building parameter, namely ceiling configuration, on indoor natural ventilation. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code Phoenics was used with the RNG k–? turbulence model to study wind motion and ventilation flow rates inside the building. All the CFD boundary conditions were described. The simulation results were first validated by wind tunnel experiment results in detail, and then used to compare rooms with various ceiling configurations in different cases. The simulation results generated matched the experimental results confirming the accuracy of the RNG k–? turbulence model to successfully predict indoor wind motion for this study. Our main results reveal that ceiling configurations have certain effects on indoor airflow and ventilation flow rates although these effects are fairly minor.     

Effects of plume buoyancy and momentum on the near-wake flow structure and dispersion behind an idealized building

Dispersion simulations of buoyant and neutral plume releases within the recirculation cavity behind a cubical building were performed using a commercially available CFD code and the RNG k-ε turbulence model. Plume buoyancy was observed to affect the size and shape of the cavity region and the flow structure and concentration profiles within. Source momentum of a neutral plume release had similar effects on the flow structure and the cavity region to that caused by plume buoyancy. However, the effects of momentum on the concentration profiles were noticeably different from that caused by plume buoyancy. Plumes released immediately downwind of a cubical building appear to alter the flow field and dispersion characteristics of the cavity recirculation region due to their inherent momentum and buoyancy. A greater fraction of a plume was captured inside the wake as the plume became increasingly buoyant. Contrarily, greater plume momentum resulted in smaller plume fractions captured inside the wake. Inclusion of these effects in the downwash algorithms would improve the accuracy of modeling results for far-field concentration distributions and would be mandatory in accident assessments where accurate predictions of short-term, near-field concentration fluctuations near source releases are required.     

On the effect of turbulent intensity towards the accuracy of the zero-equation turbulence model for indoor airflow application

The zero-equation turbulence model for indoor airflow applications proposed by Chen and Xu [4] has obtained immense popularity amongst the CFD practitioners in HVAC industry. A uniform turbulent intensity of 10% has been assumed in their model. In this paper, following the analogy of Chen and Xu [4] in deriving the coefficient of their zero-equation turbulence model (0.03874) which is indeed expressed as a function of turbulent intensity, the effect of turbulent intensity value assumed in the model towards the solution accuracy is investigated in this paper. Three indoor airflow cases, i.e. forced convection, natural convection and mixed convection problems are studied. It has been discovered that as the assumed uniform turbulent intensity T_i is reduced, the solution accuracy is significantly improved and the prediction comes closer to those of the two-equation standard k-? model, LES model as well as the experimental data.     

Verification of a CFD model for indoor airflow and heat transfer

The SST k–ω based model is applied to calculate air-flow velocities and temperatures in a model office room. Calculations are compared with experiments and with the results of the standard k–ε, the RNG k–ε model and the laminar model. It is concluded that (a) all the three tested turbulent models predict satisfactorily the main qualitative features of the flow and the layered type of temperature fields and (b) computations with the SST k–ω based model show the best agreement with measurements. The use of this model is proposed combined with a suitable grid.     

Characterizing transportation of indoor gaseous contaminant using the state space method

This paper employs the state space method to characterize transportation of indoor gaseous pollutant in steady airflow field. From the differential equations governing contaminant transportation in space, the state space equation for transportation is proposed and the analytical solution is obtained. In the method, the matrix covering hologram of the transportation is derived. The state space equation is validated with the analytic solution for the case of the simultaneous transportation of the pollution for piston flow. Similarly, the concentration from the proposed method for a 2-D case also agrees well with the result from CFD method based on the experimentally validated flow field. Based upon the analytic solution of the state equation, it is easily known that the influence of the initial concentration distribution and the pollution source on the concentration at the specific point. In addition, assisted by Chen’s zero equation turbulence model [1], the concentration field for a 3-D case is simulated by the presented method. It is found that there exists a regular stage at which the relative effect of the initial concentration distribution and the source on the concentration field will not change with time.     

CFD modelling of natural displacement ventilation in an enclosure connected to an atrium

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to investigate buoyancy-driven natural ventilation flows in a single-storey space connected to an atrium. The atrium is taller than the ventilated space and is warmed by heat gains inside the single-storey space which produce a column of warm air in the atrium and drive a ventilation flow. CFD simulations were carried out with and without ventilation openings at the bottom of the atrium, and results were compared with predictions of analytical models and small-scale experiments. The influence of key CFD modelling issues, such as boundary conditions, solution controls, and mesh dependency were investigated. The airflow patterns, temperature distribution and ventilation flow rates predicted by the CFD model agreed favourably with the analytical models and the experiments. The work demonstrates the capability of CFD for predicting buoyancy-driven displacement natural ventilation flows in simple connected spaces.     

Thermal analysis of vaulted roofs

In hot arid regions, cooling buildings by passive techniques is very important regarding energy saving and the need to keep clean the environment. In such areas, domed and vaulted roofs are widely used for centuries, such as in the Middle East region and central part of Iran. In this article analysis is made to explore east–west direction of wind flow around north–south vaulted roofs and flat roof buildings. Combined convection and solar radiation over the roofs is considered to studying thermal performances of vaulted roofs and comparing their heat transfer with flat roofs. Two-dimensional RNG k–? turbulence model is incorporated to predict turbulent flow field as well as separation and recirculating patterns around the vaulted roofs and flat roof buildings. Solar radiation distribution over the roofs is determined based on an appropriate model applicable to hot arid regions of Iran. Pressure differences above the vaulted roof are compared with flat roof for various rim angles and different wind speeds. Heat transfer to the building with respect to time is determined for a certain inside ceiling design temperature, various wind flows and vault shapes, and results are compared with corresponding flat roof. It was found that daily average heat flux for all vaulted roofs, except vaulted roof of rim angle 180° is less than flat roof and it reduces further by increasing wind speed.     

The effect of source motion on contaminant distribution in the cleanrooms

In the recent decades, cleanrooms have found growing applications in broad range of industries such as pharmacy and microelectronics. Concerns about negative effects of the contaminant exposure on the human health and product quality motivate many researchers towards understanding of the airflow and contaminant distribution though these environments. With an improvement in computational capacity of the computers, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique has become a powerful tool to study the engineering problems including indoor air quality (IAQ). In this research, indoor airflow in a full-scale cleanroom is investigated numerically using Eulerian-Eulerian approach. To evaluate the ventilation system effectiveness, a new index, called final efficiency, is introduced which takes all aspects of the problem into account. The results show that the contaminant source motion and its path have a great influence on the contaminant dispersion through the room. Based on the results, the contaminant distribution indexes, e.g. final efficiency and spreading radius, are improved when the source motion path is in the dominant direction of the ventilation airflow. Consequently, the efficiency of an air distribution system which provides a directional airflow pattern shows the least source path dependency. This study and its results may be useful to gain better understanding of the source motion effects on the indoor air quality (IAQ) and to design more effective ventilation systems.     

On the comparison of the ventilation performance of street canyons of different aspect ratios and Richardson number

In this paper, the ventilation performances of (1) isothermal street canyons of different building-height-to-street-width (aspect) ratios (h/b) and (2) a ground-heated street canyon of h/b=1 at different Richardson numbers (Ri) are examined numerically by solving the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations with the use of the Renormalization Group (RNG) k-ɛ turbulence model. The mean () and turbulent (ACH’) air exchange rates (ACH) are calculated by the eddy-viscosity model instead of the turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) used elsewhere. For the isothermal street canyons, the ACH’ is found to account for 90% of the total ACH for 0.5 ≤ h/b ≤ 2. Similar to the previous large-eddy simulation (LES) and k-ɛ turbulence model, the magnitudes and shapes of the roof-level profiles of mean and fluctuating vertical winds are close to each other for different h/b. This suggests that turbulent mixing is important for the ventilation of isothermal street canyons. For the ground-heated street canyon, both the mean wind and turbulence are strengthened as illustrated by the increasing and ACH’ with decreasing Ri. A secondary recirculation is developed at the ground-level windward corner that pushes the primary recirculation upward and enhances and ACH as well.     

Performance and influence of numerical sub-models on the CFD simulation of free and forced convection in double-glazed ventilated façades

Double-glazed façades (DGF) are an attractive option in contemporary architecture and are increasingly used in commercial buildings. They offer some advantages compared with single façade systems but require careful design. The solar-collector-like construction leads to high temperatures in the façade cavities and the possibility of the building overheating. This is undesirable effect, especially in Mediterranean climates. A possible solution for reducing thermal overheating is to use the air channel between the two layers of glass to evacuate the solar radiation absorbed by the façade. A suitable simulation procedure for modeling these façades would be very useful for designing buildings of this type.     

Validation of FDS for the prediction of medium-scale pool fires

Fire dynamics simulator (FDS) has been applied to simulate a medium-scale methanol pool fire. The simulation used predominantly the existing features in FDS except that an additional sub-grid-scale combustion model based on the laminar flamelet approach of Cook AW and Riley JJ [Combust and Flame 1998;112:593–606] was used alongside the default mixture fraction combustion model for comparison. The predictions of the two different combustion models for temperature and axial velocity distributions were found to be in reasonably good agreement with each other and the experimental data. The pulsating nature of air entrainment was demonstrated by the air entrainment velocity fluctuations and the instantaneous velocity vectors, which revealed formation and shedding of vortices and the well-known “neck-in” at a distance of approximately one diameter from the pool surface. The predicted variations of air entrainment at different heights agreed well with some published data and correlation. Although the limitation of the code in predicting the puffing frequency was noticed as the spectra of temperature fluctuations failed to demonstrate any dominant frequency, the present study has demonstrated the capability of FDS to deliver reliable predictions on most important parameters of pool fires.     

Numerical investigation of the effect of road structures on ambient air quality—for their better design

Two-dimensional numerical simulation for investigating wind and concentration field around a double-decked road structure was performed using a standard k-ε turbulence model. The main objective of this paper is to study how road fences installed at a double-decked road affect ambient air quality, especially, pollutant concentration at some downstream locations. For model validation, calculated results were compared with available field experiment. Performance of the standard k-ε model was also compared with that of the renormalization group k-ε model for the double-decked road. Obtained results clarified how and how much pollutant concentration distribution is influenced by road structures with and without fences: the fences on the upper deck have generally positive effect on decreasing of air pollution near ground level while those on the ground always not. The computer code we used is CFX4.     

Numerical simulation of TBM construction ventilation in a long diversion tunnel

A three-dimensional Renormalization-group (RNG) k-ε model has been performed for forced ventilation to the working face of a long diversion tunnel, taking into account the effects of air leakage and the frictional resistance along the tunnel. The case study involves the working face during TBM construction of the Xinjiang 81 Daban long diversion tunnel, China. Analysis of the flow-field distribution and the pressure distribution near the working face and tunnel outlet revealed the relationships among the air leakage rate per 100 m, pressure difference at the air leakage port, and quantity of air in the air duct. The simulation results show that the air flux, velocity, and leakage rate gradually decrease along the tunnel. The air leakage rate per 100 m increases logarithmically along with pressure growth when the latter is limited within a certain pressure difference range. A low-pressure area can be found on the duct wall near the air leakage port, and the pressure inside the tunnel gradually decreases from the working face to the tunnel outlet; the velocity is relatively high near the leakage port, and is low in the tunnel. The simulated results were in good agreement with the experimental work by Cigdem Aydin and Hui-min Wang, and the simulated axial velocities of the tunnel were validated with the empirical value.     

Experimental study and numerical investigation of particle penetration and deposition in 90° bent ventilation ducts

Particle deposition in a ventilation duct is a severe problem as it can pose health hazards. This is more evident in 90° bent ventilation ducts. The exposure of particle deposition location in bend section is important and useful in understanding and dispelling particle contamination. This paper investigated particle penetration and deposition in 90° bent ventilation ducts numerically and validated using experimental and previous research data. In the numerical study, particle penetration and deposition in a 2D 90° bend turbulent flow were analyzed. The Renormalized Group (RNG) k-<epsilon > model and Lagrangian particle tracking model were utilized to characterize turbulent gas flow and particle behavior, respectively. Particle turbulent dispersion was introduced by adopting the eddy lifetime model with the near wall fluctuating velocity corrected to take turbulence anisotropy into account. In the experimental validation, particle pollution collected from an actual ventilation duct was observed. The particle penetration rates in a test duct at 6 different Stokes numbers were measured for validation. The numerical results were consistent with both the experimental study and the data obtained from previous research.     

Dispersion of gas pollutant in a fan-filter-unit (FFU) cleanroom

Numerical simulation and experimental measurement of flow and concentration fields in a working fan-filter-unit (FFU) cleanroom have been conducted in this study. The purpose of the study is to find out the unsteady concentration distribution of a leaking gas pollutant. The standard K–ε model was used for the simulation of the flow field. To obtain the gas concentration field, SF₆ gas with a certain concentration was released as a simulated leaking source from a valve manifold box (VMB) for 5 or 10 min, respectively. Three Fourier transform infrared spectrometers (FTIRs) were simultaneously used to measure the spatial and temporal distributions of SF₆ concentrations. The measured data were then compared with the numerical results and the agreement is seen to be quite good. From the numerical results, the pollutant hot spots, peak pollutant concentration at the end of leaking, and time taken for the concentration to reduce to near background level are obtained.     

Evaluation of the ventilation potential of courtyards and urban street canyons using RANS and LES

We introduce the ventilation potential (VP) as a statistical, climate-dependent measure to assess the removal of scalars, such as heat and pollutants, from courtyards or urban street canyons. The VP is obtained following a three-step approach. First, the magnitude of the flux through a horizontal surface situated at the top of the courtyard or canyon is determined by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations for various courtyard geometries and ambient wind directions. Then, this exchange flux is normalized with the free-stream wind speed and subsequently parameterized as a function of the courtyard’s length-to-width ratio and the incidence angle of the wind flow. Finally, the combination of the parameterization with site-specific wind data yields the VP. This study reveals that the normalized exchange flux is maximal when the angle between the prevailing flow direction and the main courtyard axis is about 15-30°, regardless of the courtyard length. The normalized exchange flux increases with increasing courtyard length, and approaches the optimum for courtyards with a length-to-height ratio of ten. Longer courtyards behave as urban street canyons. Unsteady (LES) simulations lead to a much higher VP and thus favor scalar removal when compared with steady (RANS) simulations. These observations can have a decisive impact on urban planning, human comfort and health.     

Dissolved organic matter: Precautions for the study of hydrophilic substances using XAD resins

This study concerns the possible changes in the repartition and the molecular characteristics of hydrophilic substances (HyS) isolated by XAD resins from the same source of organic matter as a function of the distribution coefficient k′ and the DOM concentration. We tested that on two different sources of organic matter (a surface water and a landfill leachate). Breakthrough curves column experiments highlighted a modification of the repartition between hydrophilic and humic substances according to the k′ value applied. But, we find that the composition of HyS is significantly modified between k′ = 50 and 100. Our observations tend to suggest a higher contribution of humic-like matter (high-molecular weight aromatic compounds) with an increase of the k′ value. This results in a shift of fluorescence bands to longer wavelengths and changing patterns of the SEC profiles and molecular fingerprints performed by flash pyrolysis. Our results show that DOM concentration also influences the composition of HyS while little effect is observed on their quantification at k′ = 50 or 100.