Comparison of CFD and Multizone Modeling from Contaminant Migration from a Household Gas Furnace

Abstract

In Central and Eastern Europe, a growing popularity of gas heaters as the main source of heat and domestic hot water can be observed. This is the result of new laws and strategies for funding that have been put in place to encourage households to stop using coal and replace it with cleaner energy sources. However, there is a growing concern that gas furnaces are prone to malfunction and can be a threat to occupants through CO (carbon monoxide) generation. To see how a faulty gas furnace with a clogged exhaust may affect a household, a series of multizone and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were carried out using the CONTAM software and CFD0 editor created by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The simulations presented different placements of the furnace and ventilation outlet in an attached garage. The results showed how the placement influenced contaminant migration and occupant exposure to CO. It changed the amount of CO that infiltrated to the attached house and influenced occupant exposure. The results may be used by future users to minimize the risk of CO poisoning by using the proper natural ventilation methods together with optimal placement of the header in the household.