Numerical Study of Room Airflows Using Different Turbulence Models

Abstract

Two-dimensional isothermal airflows in a 1/4-scale ventilated model room were numerically investigated using different turbulence models that range from the zero-equation model to the Reynolds stress model (RSM). Quantitative and qualitative comparisons were made between the numerical results and corresponding experimental data with the purpose of evaluating the performance of different turbulence models. Also investigated were the effects of the inlet boundary conditions, three-dimensional effects, and wall treatments on the numerical predictions. The results showed that all the turbulence models used in this study could capture the general flow behavior observed in the experiments, but certain differences existed in the flow patterns between the numerical predications and the experimental observations. The predicted mean velocities were closer to the measurements than the predicted turbulent kinetic energy. It was found that some turbulence models performed better in predicting mean velocities, while other models did better in predicting turbulent kinetic energy. This study shows that the selection of turbulence models should depend on the quantities being examined.