TECH TALK
The air we breathe
As air distribution solutions become increasingly bespoke to achieve good quality indoor air while meeting aesthetic design requirements, Joe Jones, engineering and development manager at Waterloo, looks at how manufacturers are turning to computational fluid dynamics for optimum results
A
t some point in our lives, most of us will have experienced that unpleasant waft of stale air, perhaps walking into an office space or stuffy hotel room. Reach for the air conditioning switch, and the loud noise from the blast of fresh air assails our ears. Then, to top it off, we find we’re caught in a nasty cold draught. Fortunately, there is growing momentum on the importance of ensuring good indoor air quality (IAQ) to protect both the wellbeing and health of building occupants and create better buildings. Modern buildings are designed to be more airtight, but while this makes them more energy efficient, an effective ventilation system is essential to prevent a potentially harmful build-up of pollutants. Providing a healthy indoor environment is therefore a key focus in new building design. Ensuring efficient and effective ventilation also ultimately benefits employers, as revealed in a recent study commissioned by Harvard Business Review .
In a survey of over 1,600 North Americans, better air quality was the top environmental factor cited to improve the happiness, wellbeing and, ultimately, the productivity of employees. This was followed by access to natural light and the ability to personalise their workplace. An efficient and effective air flow will also use less
energy, so it’s a cost-effective means for businesses and organisations to simultaneously address a building’s energy efficiency and occupant wellbeing. So how to go about optimising air distribution? Forward-thinking manufacturers are turning to technology – specifically to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) – as a rapid, accurate tool to deliver the best possible air flow in every environment from their products.
Optimising air distribution Creating a comfortable indoor climate involves multiple tasks, such as providing the proper volume
of fresh air, keeping a stable temperature, and minimising the draught exposure. With a conventional diffusion arrangement, primary air is supplied over the occupied zone where it mixes with room or secondary air. This process causes the initial temperature and velocity difference between the supply and room air to decrease, so that when the supply jet reaches the occupied zone, the velocity and temperature are close to room conditions.
This is achieved through air terminal devices such as grilles and diffusers, with the location, type and size determining the manner in which the supply jet and resultant room air motion behave.
The occupied zone which is defined as the area up to 1.8m from the floor and as close as 150mm from any room surface.
Fast and accurate solution How, then, can CFD benefit the design and product selection process? CFD is applied to a wide range of industries, including aerodynamics, aerospace, weather simulation and environmental engineering. When applied to air distribution, CFD modelling can help accurately identify the most appropriate solutions by using numerical analysis and data structure to analyse and optimise air flow. The technology enables a 3D case study model of the area to be produced using simplified polygons. Influencing parameters or conditions can then be
16 January 2020
www.acr-news.com
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