Authors
Abstract
A numerical study of two-dimensional turbulent buoyant recirculating flows
within a heated space is presented. The study involves the solution of elliptic partial
differential equations for the conservation of mass, momentum, energy, turbulence
energy and its dissipation rate. These equations were solved together with algebraic
expressions for the turbulent viscosity and heat diffusivity in a finite difference form.
The simulations of the turbulent buoyant flow within the space were undertaken
using two principle geometrical arrangements (A & B) of the room with different
locations and sizes of a heating source (b/h=0.08, 0.28, and 0.5 for geometry A and
b/h=0.75, 1.45, and 6.0 for geometry B). The study demonstrates that for a thermal
comfort conditions in the space the location and size of the heating source are of great
importance. When the heating source is located in the middle of the floor it is found to
generate a high velocity air stream resulted from vortices produce a local thermal
discomfort in the occupation zone. On the other hand its location under a cold
window offsets the losses in heat and avoiding the form of the high velocity air
streams in the occupation zone. The size of the heating source is also found to
influence the occupation zone condition through the effect on the heat transfer rate
inside the conditioned space.
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