The University of Texas at Austin Fall 2019

CAEE Department

Course: Modeling of Air and Pollutant Flows in

Buildings

Instructor: Dr. Atila Novoselac

Office: ECJ, 5.430
Phone: (512) 475-8175
e-mail: atila@mail.utexas.edu
http://www.ce.utexas.edu/prof/Novoselac

Office Hours:
Tuesday and Thursday 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Today’s Lecture Objectives:

• Discuss the Syllabus

• Describe scope of the course
• Introduce the course themes
• Answer your question
• Fluid dynamics review
 Introduce Yourself

• Name
• Background
- academic program and status
• Professional interests
 Motivation for
Modeling of Indoor Air Distribution using CFD:
• Major exposure to contaminant is in indoor environment

• Ventilation system provides contaminant dilution

Controlled airflow (ventilation) can considerably improve
the IAQ and reduce the ventilation air requirement

• Air-flow transports pollutants – gaseous and particulate

• Contaminant concentration in the space is more or less non-uniform

– It affects: emission, filtration, reactions, exposure
 Why to Care About
Indoor Airflow Distribution ?
Pollutant concentration is very often non-uniform
- Exposure depends on dispersion

dC
  Sources  Sinks Perfect mixing
dt

C C C C  2C  2C  2C
 Vx  Vy  Vz  D 2  D 2  D 2   Sources  Sinks
t x y z x y z

We can control exposure by controlling the flow field

Examples of Exposure Control
by Ventilation Systems
1) Control Exhaust

2) Control Supply

Supply
diffusers
 Example of Buoyancy Driven Flow:
Airflow in a Stairwell

Heater (radiator)
 Example of Force Convection
Contaminant Concentration in a Kitchen
Example Particle Dispersion
 What CFD Does
• Real flow

• Modeling
 Fluid Dynamics
Continuity:

Momentum:
Numerical Methods
 Simulation Software (CFD)

Input Output
Simulation Software
If Then
Garbage IN Garbage OUT
 Course Objectives
• Recognize the physics behind various numerical tools
used for solving airflow problems.

• Employ basic numerical methods for solving Navier-

Stokes Equations.

• Apply CFD for airflow simulations in buildings and use

these tools in design and research.

• Evaluate the thermal comfort and indoor air quality

(IAQ) with different ventilation systems.
• Assess human exposure to different pollutant types.

• Critically analyze and evaluate CFD results.

 Topics:
1. Course Introduction and Background 1 wk
30% 2. Fundamentals of fluid dynamics 2 wks
3. Turbulence models 1.5 wks

4. Numerical methods and parameters 2 wks

30% 5. CFD modeling parameters 1.5 wks
6. Introduction to CFD software 1 wk

7. Application of CFD for building airflows 1 wk

8. Simulation of IAQ parameters 1 wk
9. Simulation of thermal comfort parameters 1 wk
40%
10. Modeling of aerosols 1 wk
11. Air and pollutant flows in the vicinity of occupants 1 wk
12. Accuracy and validation of building airflow simulations 1 wk
 Prerequisites
- Fluid Dynamics

Knowledge of the following is useful but

not necessary:
- Numerical analysis
- Programming
 Textbook
1) An Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics,
Versteeg, H.K. and Malalasekera, W.

References:
2) Computational Fluid Dynamics –The Basics With
Applications
Anderson

3) Turbulence Modeling for CFD

Wilcox
 Handouts
• Copies of appropriate book sections
An Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics

I will mark important sections

• Disadvantage - different nomenclature
• I will point-out terms nomenclature and terminology
differences

• Journal papers and CFD software manual

• Related to application of airflow simulation programs
Energy simulation software
Airpark Fluent
Star CD Software – Supply airflow patern
 There is a large availability of CFD software !

- Star CD , Fluent (ANSYS and Airpak)

We have it and you will use it
- Phoenics
- CFX
- Flow Vent
 TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE

In the syllabus and on the website

http://www.ce.utexas.edu/prof/Novoselac/classes/ARE372/Notes.html
 Grading

Test 30%
Homework Assignments 25%
Midterm Project 10%
Final Project & Presentation 30%
Classroom Participation 5%
100%
 Participation 5%
• Based on my assessment of your participation
in the class

• How to get participation points

• Come to class
• Submit all assignments/projects on time
• Participate in class discussions
• Come to see me in my office
 Homework 25%
Targeted number: 3

• HW1
Problems related to fluid dynamic
• HW2
Problem related to turbulence modeling
• HW3
Problem related numeric
 Midterm Project 10%
• Individual project

• Use of CFD program for air and pollutant

flow analysis

• Primary goal is to get familiar with the CFD

software
 Midterm Exam 30%
• In-class exam (90 minutes)

• After 2/3 of the course (sometime in

October )
• we will arrange the exact time

• Problems based on topics cover in the first

two parts of the course
 Final Project 30%
• Use of CFD for detail airflow, thermal and
IAQ analyses
• Different projects topics
– Real engineering an/or research problems

• Final presentation (~15 minutes)

Previous Course projects
-Human Exposure to Indoor Pollutants
- dispersion of pollutant with DV
Previous Course projects
- Surface Boundary Layer
Previous Course Projects
- Hydro-Jet Screen
Previous Course projects
- Natural Ventilation
Modeling of Smoke in Stairwell
 More CFD Final Project:

• Design of ventilation system

• Smoke management
• Natural ventilation
• Human exposure to various pollutants
• Your suggestion
 Grading
> 93 A
90-93 A-
86-90 B+
83-86 B
80-83 B-
< 80 C-, C, C+
 Course Website
All course information:
http://www.ce.utexas.edu/prof/Novoselac/Classes/ARE372/

• Except your grades and HW solutions

Grades and progress on the Canvas

• On the course website

• Look at Assignments sections
• Review class material ahead of time
use posted class notes
 My Issues
• Please try to use office hours for questions
problems and other reasons for visit
Tuesday and Thursday morning reserved - Class preparation

• Please don’t use e-mail to ask me questions

which require long explanations
• Come to see me or call me

• Suggestions are welcome

• The more specific the better
Fluid Dynamics

Review
Conservation equations
 Important operations
Total derivative for fluid particle which is moving:

D    
  Vx  Vy  Vz
D  x y z V

z
any scalar
y
Vector and scalar operators: x
       
U  V  (U x i  U y j  U z k )  (Vx i  V y j  Vz k )  (U x Vx )  (U y  V y )  (U z  Vz )
scalar
     
grad  i j k
x y z
 Vx V y Vz
div V   
x y z
vector
Shear and Normal stress

τyx
Continuity equation -conservation of mass
Mass flow in and out of fluid element
Infinitely small volume
Volume V = δxδyδz
Volume sides:
Ax = δyδz
Ay = δxδz
Az = δxδy
Change of density in volume =
= Σ(Mass in) - Σ(Mass out)

……………….
……………….
   u   v   w
   0
 x y z
Incompressible flow
u v w
  0
x  y z
 Momentum equation –Newton’s second law
 
m  a  F or : m  a x  Fx m  a y  Fy m  a z  Fz dimensions of
fluid particle
Dv
For a and for volume of fluid particle x  y  z
D
Dv x Dv y Dv z
  fx   fy  fz
D D D
Stress components in x direction

total forces
derivative per unit of volume
in direction x

………………..
………………
…………….
 Momentum equation
Dv x
  fx
D Sum of all forces in x direction
p  xx  yx  zx
fx       Sx
x x y z

Internal source
Dv x p   yx  zx
    xx    Sx
D x x y z

v x v x v x v x p  xx  yx  zx
(  Vx  Vy  Vz )     Sx x direction
 x y z x x y z
v y v y v y p  xy  yy  zy
v y
(  Vx  Vy  Vz )     Sy y direction
 x y z y x y z
v z v z v z v z p  xz  yz  zz
(  Vx  Vy  Vz )     Sz z direction
 x y z z x y z
 Newtonian fluids
• Viscous stress are proportional to the rate of deformation (e)

Elongation:
v v y v
e xx  x , e yy  , e zz  z
x y z
Shearing deformation:

1  v x v y  1  v x v z  1  v y v z 
e xy  e yx     , e xz  e zx     , e yz  e zy    
2  y x  2  z x  2  z y 
For incompressible flow
Viscous stress:
0
v x v y v v x V V y Vz
 xx  2  ,  yy  2  ,  zz  2 z  xx  2  ( x   )
x y z x x y z
viscosity
 v x v y   v x v z   v y v z 
 xy   yx      ,  xz   zx      ,  yz   zy     
 y x   z x   z y 
 Momentum equations for Newtonian fluids
After substitution:

x direction:

v x v x v x v x p 2vx  2vx 2vx 2vx 2vy  2vz

ρ(  Vx  Vy  Vz )   μ μ μ 2 μ μ μ  Sx
τ x y z x x 2 y 2 z x 2 xy xz

y direction:

v y v y v y v y p 2vy 2vy 2vy 2vx 2vy  2 vz

(  Vx  Vy  Vz )    μ μ μ  Sy
 x y z y x 2 y 2 z 2 yx y 2 yz

z direction:

v z v z v z v z p  2vz  2vz  2vz  2vx 2vy  2vz

(  Vx  Vy  Vz )     2 μ μ  μ 2  Sz
 x y z z x 2 y 2 z zx zy z