VALIDATION OF CFD MODEL FOR RESEARCHINTO APPLICATI

Displacement ventilation may provide better indoor air quality and save energy. There is a question of suitability of this technology in HK buildings with higher cooling loads. Two main approaches available to answer the question are experimental investigation and computer simulation. CFD technique is a powerful tool to solve indoor environment problems. A commercial CFD code was used for the computations. The results obtained by the CFD simulation are more informative and comprehensive than all the measured data. The CFD program will be also used to expand the experimental results to an appropriate range of building applications

(i. e., room configuration and height, heat load type and distribution.) A k-εmodel was employed as an alternative tool for the experiment in a full-scale indoor space. The use of turbulence leads to uncertainties in the computed results because the models are not universal. Therefore, it is essential to validate the CFD program by experimental data. Validation was conducted by comparing the flow patterns vertical profiles of temperature, concentration, velocity, and turbulence intensity between measurement and computation for an individual office, a cubicle office, and a quarter of a classroom. The computed air temperature and velocity agree well with the measured data. The agreement is less satisfactory between the computed and measured temperatures in the lower part of the office. The CFD program therefore can be used for simulation of airflow in a room with displacement ventilation.