Performance evaluation of an architecturally-designed vertical high capacity linear slot diffuser in a tropical atrium

Abstract

This paper proposed a new approach for the efficient air conditioning of large tropical buildings. The current study has two objectives: the design and numerical investigations of the performance of vertically oriented high capacity linear slot diffusers (HCLSD) in an atrium building and the verification and validation of the different turbulence models through laboratory-scale experiments. The HCLSD was investigated with varying angles of inclination of the blades (ϕ = 0^o to 25^o) for the in-depth performance analyses. The performance was evaluated by monitoring and comparing the velocity and temperature profiles along the vertical lines drawn at different locations in the studied domain. A relatively longer jet throw was noticed through quantitative analysis at ϕ = 0^o. Note that more than 33% increment in the face velocity was recorded at this angle. The corresponding terminal velocity of 0.225 m/s was observed at 8 m distance from the diffuser face. The detailed investigations at 0^o deflector angle (case-1) were carried out for velocity, temperature field, and thermal comfort indices, i.e. PMV and PPD models. For the occupied zone, the thermal comfort indices were found within the acceptable ranges (i.e. PMV = + 0.1 to +0.9 and PPD = 4% to 20%).

Abbreviations: ACMV: Air conditioning and mechanical ventilation; CFD: Computational fluid dynamics; CMH: Cubic meter per hour; DV: Displacement ventilation; HCLSD: High capacity linear slot diffuser; IAQ: Indoor air quality; MV: Mixing ventilation; PMV: Predicted mean vote; PPD: Predicted percentage dissatisfied; RANS: Reynolds-Averaged Navier – Stokes; RNG: Re-Normalization Group; SST: Shear-Stress Transport: SIMPLE: Semi-implicit method for pressure linked equations; VAV: Variable air volume; VSD: Variable speed drives

KEYWORDS:

• CFD simulation
• tropical atrium
• slot diffuser
• turbulence model
• deflector angle

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank University of Malaya for providing Partnership Grant RK005-2020 and IIRG Grant IIRG014-2019A to the authors for research work to be conducted at University of Malaya. Thanks are extended to Pakistan Government for the full scholarship provided to the first co-author, Mr. A.R. Umair, for conducting PhD research work in the HVAC&R Lab at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Malaya. In addition, special thanks are extended to Prudentaire Marketing Sdn Bhd and Daikin R&D Sdn Bhd for their contributions in the laboratory testing and simulation work conducted in this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Conflict of interest statement

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.