Towards Energy Efficient Air-Conditioned Space: Fluid Flow and Thermal Behavior

This paper focuses on both experimental investigation and numerical modeling of full-scale modelled air-conditioned multipurpose hall fully operable. Two methodologies were used, firstly full scale experimental setup was incorporated to map the hall making use of a well-developed fully automated wireless mobile test rig remotely controlled by pre-programmed computer and using high precision state-of-the-art measuring instruments. While the Second methodology was a numerical modeling using a well developed [CFD] 3DHVAC and FLUENT computer simulation programs. Physical and Numerical investigations enable the analyses of the influence of Reynolds, Archimedes and Prandtl numbers for the air as well as the effects of shape, location, inlet air velocity of supply outlet on the flowing air parameters. These parameters include throw, drop, air induction, room local velocities, humidity ratio and temperatures distributions. The forced air supply of cooled air streams out of high wall mounted, downward inclined jets is investigated with mechanically extracted air from the top of the split air-conditioning units. On the other hand an experimental traversing mechanism, computer-based and operated by PLC was developed and used to map the velocity and temperature contours. The room was typically used as the chairman office, meeting room and seminar room. One of the main conclusions is that good agreement between both of full-scale physical modeling and numerical modeling were reported. While the reported comparisons concluded that qualitative agreements were shown, some discrepancies were also observed in the thermal parameters for comfort conditions required by different occupants.