Impact of Thermal Plumes Generated by Occupant Simulators with Different Complexity of Body Geometry on Airflow Pattern in Rooms

Daria Zukowska, Arsen Krikor Melikov, Zbigniew Popiolek

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingArticle in proceedingsResearchpeer-review

    Abstract

    The impact of thermal plumes generated by human body simulators with different geometry on the airflow pattern in a full scale room with displacement ventilation (supply air temperature 21.6°C, total flow rate 80 L/s) was studied when two seated occupants were simulated first by two thermal manikins resembling accurately human body shape and then by two heated cylinders. The manikins and the cylinders had the same surface area of 1.63 m2 and the same heat generation of 73 W. CO2 supplied from the top of the heat sources was used for simulating bio-effluents. CO2 concentration was measured at 16 heights in 9 locations and at 20 points in a horizontal plane 0.2 m below the ceiling. The thermal plumes generated by the manikins had greater volume flux than the plumes above the cylinders and it equalled the supply airflow rate at a lower height than in the case with cylinders. This resulted in substantially different vertical CO2 concentration distributions in the room. In the lower “cleaner” zone the CO2 concentration was higher when the occupants were simulated by the thermal manikins than when simulated with the cylinders. The results reveal that simulation of occupants by objects with simplified geometry, such as cylinders, is insufficient for obtaining accurate results when studying airflow in rooms with displacement ventilation.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationProceedings of the 7th International Thermal Manikin and Modelling Meeting – 7I3M
    Number of pages8
    Place of PublicationCoimbra, Portugal
    Publication date2008
    Publication statusPublished - 2008
    Event7th International Thermal Manikin and Modelling Meeting - Coimbra, Portugal
    Duration: 3 Sept 20085 Sept 2008
    Conference number: 7
    http://www.adai.pt/7i3m/

    Conference

    Conference7th International Thermal Manikin and Modelling Meeting
    Number7
    Country/TerritoryPortugal
    CityCoimbra
    Period03/09/200805/09/2008
    Internet address

    Keywords

    • tracer gas technique
    • office
    • heated cylinder
    • thermal plume
    • thermal manikin
    • displacement ventilation

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