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Comparison between experiments and CFD predictions of mixed convection flows in an atrium

Publication Type

Conference Proceedings

Authors

Jayaraman, Buvaneswari, Elizabeth U Finlayson, Emily E Wood, Tracy L Thatcher, Phillip N Price, Richard G Sextro, Ashok J Gadgil

Abstract

This paper compares results from a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of airflow and pollutant dispersion under mixed-convection conditions with experimental data obtained in our 7m x 9m x 11m high experimental facility. A tracer gas was continuously released from a 1 m² horizontal source 0.5 m above the floor. Path-integrated concentrations were measured along multiple short and long sampling paths in three horizontal planes. A steady state CFD analysis was used to model these experiments. The Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations were solved for the flow and temperature field using the commercial CFD software, StarCD. CFD results were compared with the measured path-integrated concentrations. Accuracy of CFD predictions was found to improve with inclusion of thermal effects, and further by using a low-Re turbulence model.

Journal

Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate

Volume

3(3)

Year of Publication

2005