Optimal Design Method of Indoor Thermal Environment Based on CFD Coupled Simulation : Part 1-Development of Prototype of Optimal Design Method

Abstract

An optimal design method of indoor thermal environment based on coupled simulation of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) is presented. The method includes the feedback system which modifies the design parameters (e.g. shape of room, HVAC system, location of supply inlet, etc) according to the evaluation of the thermal environment, and finally the evaluated value becomes the design target. The study would be the fundamental research for the optimal design method using CFD coupled simulation. A prototype of the optimal design method is developed. The logics for the optimization are also presented. To examine the performance of the new method, the search for the optimal design for an office is conducted. Thermal sensations of human models in the room are used for the first priority evaluation element of the indoor thermal environment. In the course of searching the optimal design process, parameters are modified to attain the target value of the first priority evaluation element. For the second priority evaluation elements are HVAC energy and effective draft temperature. These lower priority evaluation elements are used only for checking the level of optimization, and not for the feedback system. The design parameters for the optimization are the locations of and the shapes of the supply inlets, the air volume of the supply inlets, and the temperature of the supply inlets. These parameters are ordered as the first, the second and the third priority. Using the optimal design method, the optimal values of the design parameters and the resultant thermal environment are analyzed.