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Building Simulation 2009, 2(3): 187-196 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12273-009-9317-7
Research Article | Issue | Published: 08 September 2009

Analysis of thermal comfort in an office room by varying the dimensions of the windows on adjacent walls using CFD: A case study based on numerical simulation

Show Author's Information Paramasivam Ravikumar1( ),  D. Prakash2
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jayaram Engineering College and Technology, Trichy, Tamil Nadu-621 014, India
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Anjalai Ammal Mahalingam Engineering College, Kovilvenni, Tamil Nadu-614 403, India
Keywords:
CFD, ventilation, thermal comfort, low temperature zone, PMV
Cite this article:
Ravikumar P, Prakash D. Analysis of thermal comfort in an office room by varying the dimensions of the windows on adjacent walls using CFD: A case study based on numerical simulation. Building Simulation, 2009, 2(3): 187-196. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12273-009-9317-7
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Abstract Full text About this article

Ventilation provides a more comfortable thermal environment for occupants inside of buildings. The growing demand for electricity has encouraged research focused on natural ventilation. In this study, we analyze the thermal comfort in an office room with varied window opening dimensions using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique. We created a 3-dimensional model room with windows on adjacent walls and an atmospheric zone. The flow equations were solved using the control volume method. Steady k-ε turbulence model and incompressible fluid flow of constant property have been considered, neglecting the variation due to temperature. We examined the effects of the window openings’ area and aspect ratio on thermal comfort. The CFD code was compared with the network model and its discrepancy value was less than 8%. Air temperatures along the various midlines of the room were predicted and compared for a range of window sizes. We identified the room areas occupied by the low temperature zone at various planes. Finally, we determined the predicted mean vote (PMV) contours at the midplane to identify the comfort zone. Areas other than the room corners and the areas nearest to the windowless walls are identified as the most comfort zone. Results from this study indicate the optimum window opening area and aspect ratio for maintaining thermal comfort in an office room.


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About this article

Analysis of thermal comfort in an office room by varying the dimensions of the windows on adjacent walls using CFD: A case study based on numerical simulation

Show Author's information Paramasivam Ravikumar1( ), D. Prakash2
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jayaram Engineering College and Technology, Trichy, Tamil Nadu-621 014, India
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Anjalai Ammal Mahalingam Engineering College, Kovilvenni, Tamil Nadu-614 403, India

Abstract

Ventilation provides a more comfortable thermal environment for occupants inside of buildings. The growing demand for electricity has encouraged research focused on natural ventilation. In this study, we analyze the thermal comfort in an office room with varied window opening dimensions using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique. We created a 3-dimensional model room with windows on adjacent walls and an atmospheric zone. The flow equations were solved using the control volume method. Steady k-ε turbulence model and incompressible fluid flow of constant property have been considered, neglecting the variation due to temperature. We examined the effects of the window openings’ area and aspect ratio on thermal comfort. The CFD code was compared with the network model and its discrepancy value was less than 8%. Air temperatures along the various midlines of the room were predicted and compared for a range of window sizes. We identified the room areas occupied by the low temperature zone at various planes. Finally, we determined the predicted mean vote (PMV) contours at the midplane to identify the comfort zone. Areas other than the room corners and the areas nearest to the windowless walls are identified as the most comfort zone. Results from this study indicate the optimum window opening area and aspect ratio for maintaining thermal comfort in an office room.

Keywords: CFD, ventilation, thermal comfort, low temperature zone, PMV

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Publication history
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Publication history

Received: 18 May 2009
Revised: 15 August 2009
Accepted: 17 August 2009
Published: 08 September 2009
Issue date: September 2009

Copyright

© Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag 2009
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