Graduation Year

2005

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.S.M.E.

Degree Granting Department

Mechanical Engineering

Major Professor

Muhammad Rahman, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Autar Kaw, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Frank Pyrtle, III, Ph.D.

Keywords

heat, convection, flow, relative humidity, contaminant removal

Abstract

This study considers airflow simulations to evaluate the impact of different window air-conditioner locations on the thermal comfort in an office room (OR). This thesis compares the air distribution for an office room by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling to previously studied rooms. The air distribution was modeled on a typical office room window air conditioning unit, air supply from a high pressure on the top and the low pressure exhaust on the bottom considering the existing manufacturing ratios for surface areas. The discharge angle for the supply grill of the AC unit was varied from 20 to 40 degrees. The position of the air conditioner was also varied and studied at 60%, 75% and 90% of the total height of the room. In addition, the location of the occupant within the office room was varied, two locations were studied, one where the occupant is far from the unit and the other to closer to the AC unit at the middle of the room. Predictions of the air movement, room temperature, room relative humidity, comfort level, and distribution of contaminants within the office room are shown. Analysis of these simulations is discussed. Energy estimations are also performed and evaluated. The positions of the air-conditioner unit, the inlet angle and the occupant position in the office room have shown to have an important impact on supply controlling air quality and thermal comfort. Results are in good agreements with the experimental data.

The primary function of a HVAC (heating refrigerating and air conditioning) system is the generation and maintenance of comfort for occupants in a conditioned space [1]. This work also provides a detailed analysis of three-dimensional mixed convective flow induced by a window air conditioning system. Using a three dimensional CFD simulation, several characteristics of human comfort are analyzed. The results of this study show a strong relation between the position of the wall-mounted air conditioning unit and the thermal comfort of the occupant. The results are in good agreement with the experimental data and the two dimensional simulation.

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