Evaluation of CFD-predicted thermal comfort uncertainties based on a seated thermal manikin test case

Abstract

The contribution presents the results of numerical simulation of 3D turbulent airflow and heat transfer around a seated thermal manikin in a model room with mixing ventilation. The main goal of the study is to evaluate the uncertainties caused by a CFD model. The room and the detailed thermal manikin geometry correspond to the experiment of P.V. Nielsen et al. (2007). The 3D computational model based on the RANS approach with the standard k-ε turbulence model is applied. The radiation effects are taken into account with the surface-to-surface radiation model. The study considers (1) the effect of the supply air flow rate variation and (2) the effect of the thermal manikin geometrical shape. For a particular parameters set, the results of numerical simulation are validated using the experimental data available (P.V. Nielsen et al.). The contribution is focused also on studying the effects of various heat transfer mechanisms on the airflow pattern and thermal comfort parameters: the baseline mixing ventilation scenario is compared with the buoyancy-dominated case.