NUMERICAL STUDIES ON THERMALLY-INDUCED INDOOR AERODYNAMICS IN A COMPARTMENT WITH NATURAL VENTILATION

Q. KUI
W. K. CHOW
S. L. LIU

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DOI: 10.2190/U4J5-MGJ7-MECJ-GLK1

Abstract

Air flow induced by a point heat source in a natural ventilated compartment will be studied in this article. Three models, fully-mixed model, water-fully box model, and empty air-fully box model, on air flow in a chamber reported in the literature were reviewed. With a point heat source located at the center of the compartment, two different cases with and without walls were considered. A two-layer zone modeling approach with an upper hot air layer and a lower cool air layer is assumed. Two such zone models, Model 1 and Model 2, were developed: Model 1 is for a compartment without any walls. Model 2 is for an enclosed compartment with adiabatic walls, but with two openings: one at the top and the other at the bottom. Air flow induced by a point heat source in the natural ventilated compartments is solved. Volume flow rate equations and two-layer temperature difference equations were derived. Equations in the developed zone models were solved by the symbolic mathematics. The relationship between the neutral plane height and the outlet area was drawn. Results are compared with those predicted by Computational Fluid Dynamics. It is found that the two new models give results agreed fairly well with Computational Fluid Dynamics.

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