The Human Comfort Level in an Energy-Saving Simulation Model of Office Building

Abstract

Currently high attention is drawn to the studies of the influence of pulsating flow to the heat transfer. Such unsteady flows can be created artificially or may appear during the operation of the thermal energy equipment. The purpose of this work is to perform numerical studies of the pulsating fluid flow effect supplied to a panel heating radiator on its heat output; and to determine the effect of pulsations of heat output on a human comfort level as well. Numerical modeling was prepared with CAD/CFD/HVAC complex of SolidWorks/FlowSimulation software. Where the complete system of Navier-Stokes equations and the energy equation were solved using the k-ε turbulence model in a non-stationary formulation of the problem. Results of the numerical calculations showed that the periodic pulsating flow of the fluid in the heating radiator during operation, in comparison with the stationary mode, leads to increasing and decreasing in the thermal power of the radiator. But at the same time, with an average estimate, the thermal power with pulsations of the fluid’s flow increases for about 10-15% comparing with a stationary mode. Model of the office room in the considered operating mode is not comfortable; this conclusion is based on such criteria as operating temperature, PMV, PPD, identified in the numerical calculations process.