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Thermal Assessment

Internal CFD can be used to model the airflow within a space in microscopic detail, making it an excellent tool for assessing thermal comfort and the performance of building HVAC systems. 

Our expert CFD modellers can quickly study the variation in flow patterns within your building to look in detail at aspects such as occupant comfort, air mixing, age of air and pressure distribution for diffuser selection. The CFD model can be constructed to include specific details such as furniture arrangements, which will have a direct effect on airflow direction, along with capitalising on surface boundary data, temperatures and flow rates, using an energy model to enhance the model quality.

We can support with even the trickiest CFD analyses, when space sizes increase and ventilation strategies are non-traditional. This could include, for example, large auditoriums with underfloor plenums and swirl diffusers, where often the overriding assumption is that the flow will be uniformly distributed across the various swirl diffusers. We can help ensure common design team errors are not overlooked in such instances, for example, ensuring that the stratification caused by the inclined shape of the auditorium is accounted for in your HVAC design, ultimately preventing comfort complaints from audience segments that would otherwise find the space too warm or too cold.

With the support of our accurate CFD modelling from the early stages in design, we can provide an accurate thermal assessment to ensure common HVAC system errors are avoided from the outset, saving you money on subsequent interventions and ensuring that occupant comfort is prioritised.

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