Coupling of thermal and airflow calculation programs offering simultaneous thermal and airflow analysis

Abstract

This paper assesses the feasibility of coupling a thermal simulation sofware (Apache†) with a multi-zone airflow software (Swifib†). The simultaneous multi-zone airflow and thermal analysis is particularly important in large enclosure buildings, such as atria. The study highlights the need for such analysis and shows that a new generation of combined thermal and airflow software can be produced by coupling the currently available thermal and airflow simulation software together. The combined software provides the design engineers with a fast, effective and computationally less demanding tool for analysing the performance of the built environment.