Effect of thermal manikin shape on thermal comfort parameters prediction uncertainties: a numerical study

Abstract

The main goal of the study is to evaluate the effect of the thermal manikin shape on the uncertainty of thermal comfort parameters CFD prediction. Numerical simulation of the airflow and heat transfer was carried out in a model room with displacement ventilation where a standing heated thermal manikin is located (test by P.V. Nielsen et al.). Numerical modelling was carried out using three manikin shapes: the detailed one (close to the human body shape), the simplified (block) one, and the single-parallelepiped shape. The 3D calculations were carried out using the ANSYS Fluent CFD package. Turbulence modelling was performed using the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) approach with the standard k-ε turbulence model. The uncertainties in the CFD-predicted draught rating (DR), percentage dissatisfied caused by vertical air temperature difference (PD), the predicted mean vote (PMV) and the predicted percentage dissatisfied (PPD), are discussed. The main result of the paper is the quantitative evaluation of the changes in the local velocity, temperature and thermal comfort parameters due to the thermal manikin shape simplification. It was found that the shape simplifications are suitable if the goal of the study is to predict the integral parameters.