6th OpenFOAM Workshop,PennStateUniversity,PA,USA,June1316,2011

StudyonAirflowandHeatFluxinUnderfloorAirconditioningSystems
KeigoNomura1,MihokoTerasawa2,MasatoIguchi3,MasashiImano1 andYuzo Sakamoto1
1TheUniversityofTokyo,2P.T.Morimura &Associates,Ltd.,3TheTokyoElectricPowerCompany

Introduction
Airconditioningsystemsthatuse
underfloor spaceasairsupplychamberin
airconditioning,heatingandventilationare
calledunderfloor airconditioningsystems.

Stage2:ThermalConductionSimulation

Decreasingdraft
discomfort

Easingvertical
temperaturedifference

Optimizing
performanceof
airconditioner

Inthiswork,weusedOpenFOAM inorder
tograspairflowinthechamberand
thermalconductioninbuildingframe.
Preventing
colddraft

Floorheatingeffect
byradiantheat

ExperimentalRoom

Radiant heat transfer rate between the

building frame and the double floor was
regarded as negligible. Convective heat
transferratefromtheairinthechamber
was substituted for boundary of the
buildingframesurface.Thefloorsurface
was divided into 10 surfaces. Wind
velocity calculated by airflow simulation
wasaveragedwithineachsurface.These
averaged wind velocity (vn) and air
temperature at each measuring point
(Tan) were substituted to boundary.
Convective heat transfer coefficients
werecalculatedbyJurges formula.

Plan

v1
Ta1
v4

Ta4

v7
Ta7

Section

Doublefloor

Airconditioner
5260mm

Heattransfer
inbuildingframe

Outsidesurfaceofbuilding
Outsidetemperature:Tout (measurementvalue)
Totalheattransfercoefficient:23[W/m2K]
Floorsurfacedividedinto10surfaces
Temperature:Tan(measurementvalueatSL+75mm)
Windvelocity:vn (calculatedvalueatSL+75mm,
averagedwithineachsurface)
Convectiveheattransfercoefficient:c
(calculatedbyJurges formula)
Nextroomandunderroom
Temperature:Tin (measurementvalue)
Totalheattransfercoefficient:12[W/m2K]

Tin

inlet

Flooroutlet
Fan

Chamber:

glasswool50mm

150mminheight

Solver LaplacianFoam
Gridsize 25mmrectangulargrid
(Neartheslab,itwasrefinedvertically
asgettingclosertothesurfacesuchas
12.5mm,6.25mm.)

Outlet

SimulationFlow

Stage1:Airflowsimulation(Steadystate)

200
150

CFD(spline smooth)
Measure(spline smooth)

100
50
0

Measurementpoint5

35

200

30
25
20
15

CFD
Measure

50

10
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Measurementpoint3
200
150
100
50
0

Windvelocity

110
80
215

180

78

10

180

25
20
15

CFD
Measure

10
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50

30
25
20
15

CFD

Measure
10
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50

150

CFD(spline smooth)
Measure(spline smooth)

100
50
0

35
30
25
20
15

CFD
Measure

10
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50

Atthefrontofairconditioner,CFDresults
didnotpreciselycorrespond.

Solver:simpleFoam
Turbulencemodel:standardk
Advectiontermscheme:TVD(limitedlinear)
Gridsize:25mmequally
Numberofgrid:2.72millions

10

Heatflux[W/m2]

200

Inlet

195

50

35

Measurementpoint10

Mesh
Doublefloor

CFD(spline smooth)
Measure(spline smooth)

100

200

30

Inlet0.61m/s
Outlet2.72m/s

Outlet

150

Measurementpoint8

35

CFD(spline smooth)
Measure(spline smooth)

Neartheflooroutlet,CFDresultsrelatively
correspondedwithmeasurementvalues.

Flooroutlet

Heatflux[W/m2]

Measurementpoint1

Heatflux[W/m2]

Heat flux simulation

in building frame
boundary
result
condition
Surface temperature
Surface temperature distribution
Building frame temperature
comparison
Heat flux distribution
Heat flux distribution

Experimentalreproduction heatfluxinbuildingframeandsurfacetemperature

Temperature[]

Temperature distribution
in the chamber
Outside temperature
Next room temperature

Results

Temperature[]

boundary
condition
comparison

CFD simulation
Airflow simulation
result
Airflow distribution
boundary Stage 1
condition Stage 2

Heatflux[W/m2]

Actual measurement
Input wind velocity
linearity
Probe airflow distribution

Buildingframe

Heatflux[W/m2]

Simulation was divided into two stages: airflow simulation in the chamber and thermal
conduction simulation in building frame. At the first stage, the properties of airflow in the
chamber were revealed. Wind velocities gained at this stage were used as boundary
conditionofthebuildingframesurfaceatthesecondstage.

Temperature[]

Insulator:

Temperature[]

C:Heatcapacityof
buildingframe[J/K]
a:Thermaldiffusion
=c(TaTs)
coefficient[m2/s]
Surfaceheattransfer
T:Temperaturegradient
c:Convectionheattransfer
Jurges'formula
coefficient[W/m2K]
c=3.9v+5.8(v5) v:Windvelocity[m/s]
Q:Heatfluxperunitarea[W/m2]

v3
Ta3
v10
v6
Ta6
Ta10
v9
Ta9

Airconditioner

Flooroutlet

C,a

150
100
50
0

CFD(spline smooth)
Measure(spline smooth)

35

Temperature[]

2590mm

Flooroutlet

v2
Ta2
v5
Ta5
v8
Ta8

Chamber
Building
frame

Ts

Heatbalanceequation
Ta:Centerairtemperature[K]
Q=T*C*a
Ts:Surfacetemperature[K]

Tout

One of the room in the actual apartment houses was

converted into the experimental room. The airconditioning
unitwas setonthe southsideoftheroom.Thecirculation
fanundertheairconditionersuppliesairtothechamber.The
air blows from two floor outlets near the window to the
room.

Double floor

Ta

30
25
20
15

50

CFD
Measure

10
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Apartfromtheoutlet,CFDresult
correspondedwithmeasurementvalueswell.

Shapeofoutlet

Results

Heatflux[W/m2]

Simulated wind velocity was compared with measured wind velocity at 10 measurement
points,SL+75mm.Theresultsofsimulationgenerallycorrespondedwithmeasurementvalue.

2.141.902.65
(16.95)(17.07)(21.02)

0.820.500.641.57

V[m/s]

(9.54)(6.58)(11.45)(10.01)

1.661.781.79
U[m/s]

(13.48)(16.36)(14.54)

123

Heatloadaddeduponeday
pereachsurface[MJ]

45610
789
Measurementpointnumber

Windvelocity
ateachmeasurementpoint

Airflowdistributioninthechamber(SL+75mm)

Heatfluxinbuildingframe(Section)

(Figures in parentheses:
Average heat flux [W/m2])

ThereismuchHeatfluxatthewalljoints.Heatloadinbuildingframeisalsolargenearthewall.
Itisimportantnottomakeheatbridgeindesigningunderfloor airconditioningsystems.