Transient three-dimensional CFD modelling of ceiling fans

Ceiling fans have been used for decades as a means of providing thermal comfort in tropical countries such as India. However, recent years have witnessed a significant increase in the use of air conditioning as a means to achieve comfort, and therefore in the total energy consumption and related CO2...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Building and environment 2017-10, Vol.123, p.37-49
Main Authors:	Babich, Francesco, Cook, Malcolm, Loveday, Dennis, Rawal, Rajan, Shukla, Yash
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Aerodynamics Air conditioners Air conditioning Air flow Bars Carbon dioxide Ceiling fan Ceiling fans CFD validation Computational fluid dynamics Computer simulation Energy conservation Energy consumption Environmental chamber Error analysis India K-omega turbulence model Shear layers Simulation Thermal comfort Thermal environments Three dimensional models Turbulence Turbulence modelling Turbulence models
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Summary:	Ceiling fans have been used for decades as a means of providing thermal comfort in tropical countries such as India. However, recent years have witnessed a significant increase in the use of air conditioning as a means to achieve comfort, and therefore in the total energy consumption and related CO2 emissions. Ceiling fans are still viable options to limit use of air conditioners or in combination with air conditioners without compromising on thermal comfort and still achieving energy savings. Ceiling fans generate non-uniform velocity profiles, and therefore relatively non-uniform thermal environments, whose characteristics may be tough to analyse with simple modelling methods. This issue can be investigated using CFD. However, to date, there are few works on ceiling fans, CFD and thermal comfort. More accurate models are therefore required to predict their performance. The research presented in this paper aimed to develop and validate a three-dimensional transient implicit CFD model of a typical ceiling fan available in India by comparing simulation results obtained using different URANS turbulence models with measured data collected in controlled environment. The results highlight that this ceiling fan model is able to replicate the predominant characteristics of the air flow generated by the fan such as the meandering plume and the local fine free shear layers. The best results are achieved when the SST k-ω turbulence model is used, with 83% of the simulated values being within the error bars of the respective measured value. •Measurements of the air flow generated by a ceiling fan were collected in an environmental chamber in controlled conditions.•The developed 3D transient CFD model is able to represent the key characteristics of the air flow generated by the fan.•Measured and simulated values are in agreement with confidence level up to 83 per cent.•The best agreement was achieved using SST k-ω turbulence model.
ISSN:	0360-1323 1873-684X