Assessment on how to enhance thermal comfort simulation studies, by adding a human thermal model. A coupled fluid-structure simulation with CFD and Matlab involved.

1. Eva Bernat Fuentes
CFD-Matlab for
Thermal Comfort Study

2. Agenda
2020-11-11 2/27Final Presentation
1. Introduction
– What is a HTRM?
– Aim and antecedents
2. CFD – Case 0. Human in a 3D simplified Room
– Model and Solvers
– 2.1 CFD Uncoupled. Validation
– 2.2 Building a Coupling system
– 2.3 CFD Coupled. Validation
3. CFD – Case 1. Human in an Aircraft Cabin

3. 1. Introduction

4. What is a HTRM?
2020-11-11 4/27Final Presentation
• Thermoregulatory model
Skin
Temperature (13)
Fiala based:
• Calculates inner body thermal responses.
• 13 body parts, as cylinders.
• Gives a Boundary Condition
for CFD Skin temperature.
• Implemented in Matlab.

5. Aim and antecedents
2020-11-11 5/27Final Presentation
AIM: Develope an integrated coupled simulation system for
predicting both the dynamic, non-uniform environmental
conditions in an aircraft cabin (CFD) and the human
physiological and perceptual reponses under these complex
circumstances.
Main antecendents:
• P.C. Cropper and T. Yang and M. Cook and D. Fiala. Coupling a model of
human thermoregulation with computational fluid dynamics for
predicting human–environment interaction. 2010.
• Abhishek Raina and Logeshkumar Srinivasan. CFD study of different
aircraft cabin ventilation systems on thermal comfort and contaminant
transport. 2020.

6. Antecedents
2020-11-11 6/27Final Presentation
P.C. Cropper and Fiala
Abhishek and Logeshkumar

7. 2. CFD – Case 0. Human in a
Simplified 3D Room

8. CFD – Case 0. Human in a Simplified 3D Room
2020-11-11 8/27Final Presentation
a) Human Manikin (Abishek & Raina) b) CFD Case 0
CAD Model.
• Model and Solvers:

9. CFD – Case 0. Human in a Simplified 3D Room
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• Model and Solvers:
• Mesh

10. 2.1 CFD – Case 0. Uncoupled
system Validation

11. CFD – Case 0. Human in a Simplified 3D Room
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a) CFD (Sorensen) b) CFD Case 0
Distributions of vertical velocity (m/s). Sideview in symmetry-plane (right) and frontview (left)
(centred near top of head).
.
Validation of CFD: A) Uncoupled. Sorensen Recreation.

12. CFD – Case 0. Human in a Simplified 3D Room
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a) Experimental (Sorensen) b) CFD Case 0
Velocity plots above human head section centered.
Validation of CFD: A) Uncoupled. Sorensen Recreation.

13. CFD – Case 0. Human in a Simplified 3D Room
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Validation of CFD: A) Uncoupled. Sorensen Recreation.

14. CFD – Case 0. Human in a Simplified 3D Room
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Validation of CFD: A) Uncoupled. Sorensen Recreation.
Radiative Heat Transfer Coefficient:
h r [W m-2 K-1]

15. CFD – Case 0. Human in a Simplified 3D Room
2020-11-11 15/27Final Presentation
Validation of CFD: A) Uncoupled. Sorensen Recreation.
Convective Heat Transfer Coefficient:
h c [W m-2 K-1]
2<h<4

16. 2.2 Coupling algorithm build-up

17. CFD – Case 0. Human in a Simplified 3D Room
2020-11-11 17/27Final Presentation
Building a Coupling system ( with AAS Matlab Toolbox)
• Coupling Algorithm:
Skin
Temperature (13)
Convective & Radiative
Skin Heat Fluxes (13) &(13)

18. 2.3 CFD – Case 0. Coupled system
Validation

19. CFD – Case 0. Human in a Simplified 3D Room
2020-11-11 19/27Final Presentation
Validation of CFD-Matlab: B) Coupled. Cropper recreation.

20. 3. CFD – Case 1. Human in an
Aircraft Cabin

21. CFD – Case 1. Human in an Aircraft Cabin
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CAD Model.
• Model and Solvers:

22. CFD – Case 1. Human in an Aircraft Cabin
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• Model and Solvers:
Cabin Mesh.

23. CFD – Case 1. Human in an Aircraft Cabin
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0 HTRM
1 HTRM
2 HTRM
• Distributions of velocity (m/s) and temperature (ºC)
X
HTRM
X
HTRM
X
HTRM

24. CFD – Case 1. Human in an Aircraft Cabin
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0 HTRM
1 HTRM
2 HTRM
• Distributions of velocity vectors (m/s).

25. CFD – Case 1. Human in an Aircraft Cabin
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h c [W m-2 K-1] h r [W m-2 K-1]
0 HTRM
1 HTRM
2 HTRM
Convective:
Radiative:

26. CFD – Case 1. Human in an Aircraft Cabin
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• Thermal Comfort. Coupled simulation.

27. Conclusions
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Main Objective: Developing a Coupled simulation system.
Improvement for analysing Thermal Comfort for humans, taking data
directly from a human-thermoregulatory model.
local values of: Thermal Sensation and Comfort for every part of the
body and overall.
This approach enables:
i) calculating more realistically the interaction and non uniform
transient heat transfer between the skin surface and the
surrounding air and structures
ii) taking into account the effect of human thermoregulation and
individual human parameters on thermal sensation and comfort.

28. Thank you for your attention!