HVAC Applications
At Predictive Engineering, we developed our expertise in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) consulting with years of CFD project work in medical, aerospace, marine, HVAC, civil (e.g., gas turbine power plants) and automotive. Our work has been extensively benchmarked by experiments and in-service testing, giving us the necessary validation experience for world-class CFD service to our clients.
Our portfolio of case studies provides hard evidence of our many successful CFD consulting projects.These consulting endeavors include space-based communications equipment, hydroelectric spillways and HVAC air handling systems, to name just a few. We feel that our broad experience brings a fresh perspective to our clients’ CFD challenges. This experience provides a cross-pollination between industries that have shared physics but different structures.
The following slides show a sample of CFD projects that are related to HVAC and building services. These projects span the range of applications from focused air handling unit performance to large factory floors. In many of these applications the end goals were to ensure an even mixing of air streams to meet criteria for uniform temperature distributions. The possible loading conditions for these type of analyses include varying flow streams, internal heat generation, internal vapor generation, and external heat from ambient and solar conditions.
Full CFD case study (PDF)
CFD Analysis of Roof-Top Mounted Hospital Air Handler
HVAC Analysis of Large Manufacturing Facility with Engine Test Center (Exhaust control)
HVAC Analysis of Gas Turbine Power Plant
Growing Better Buds - CFD Analysis of Cannabis Grow Facility
HVAC CFD Analysis of Lightrail Transit Car
CFD Analysis of Roof Mounted Air Handling Units
This CFD project evaluates air flow through four different configurations of roof top air handling units. The air handling units were built around existing columns and ducts which created regions of high flow velocities. The improved configuration of these units aimed to alleviated excess humidity issues that the current designed suffered under due to excess velocities hitting the cooling coils. Our analysis showed that under worst case conditions the clients design would meet maximum operational limits.
Optimization of Air Mixing in Office Tower HVAC Fan Room
Thermal optimization CFD analysis was perform for fan room designs in a new multistore office tower. The supply air from these rooms is made up of approximately 30% outside air mixed with return air.
For very cold winter days this can result in a temperature difference of 48°C. Design optimization tools within STAR-CCM+ were used to automate the simulation to determine the appropriate placement for heaters and damper settings provide the best air mixing between cold and return air.
