Surface-drag flow relations for zonal modeling

Abstract

Zonal models, combining simple cell-to-cell viscous loss, jet momentum, and convective energy transport relations appear to model the larger features of room airflow and thermal distribution fairly well. The power-law viscous loss relations commonly used in these models, however, have little physical justification and fail, by orders of magnitude, to model the resistance offered to airflow in simple flow regimes. An alternative approach based on a surface-drag viscous loss mechanism is presented that mitigates the deficiencies of the power-law approach, provides a family of cell-to-cell flow relations that includes linear members, and appears to capture room airflow structure more faithfully near-surfaces.