Indoor Environment Control Effect Based on Multi-Impeller Air Conditioner

  • WANG Jiahao ,
  • LIU Xiaomin ,
  • TIAN Chenye ,
  • WU Liming ,
  • XI Guang
Expand
  • School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China

Online published: 2023-12-04

Supported by

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.51676152). The related experiments were carried out in the environmental laboratory of Guangdong Midea Air-Conditioning Equipment Co., Ltd.

Copyright

Science Press, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, CAS and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2022

Abstract

Air conditioner is the key air supply device to improve the indoor air heat transfer cycle and thermal environment. In this paper, according to the similarity theory, six kinds of the multi-impeller air conditioners (MIAC) with different numbers of axial-flow impeller are first proposed based on air conditioners with cross-flow fan (CFAC). The effects of different multi-impeller air supply modes on the indoor airflow field and temperature field are investigated by using the numerical simulation method. The validity of the computational model and method is verified by comparing the experimental measurements and numerical results. Compared with other air supply modes, the air supply distance is relatively far and the indoor environment is also improved obviously when the six-impeller air conditioner (SIAC) is used. The independent multiple impellers and outlets of SIAC make the mutual interference between the outlet airflow less, which effectively reduces the friction between the airflow and the degree of loss along the way and makes the cold and heat exchange of the whole indoor space more sufficient. The indoor thermal environment is also analyzed by using the PMV-PPD method and prototype experiment. Under the working condition of no wind, the indoor thermal comfort of human body with SIAC is better than that of CFAC. Especially in the horizontal plane of 0.6 m above the human foot, the indoor thermal environment improvement effect is the most obvious. Simultaneously, the temperature difference along the indoor height direction with the SIAC is only 1.7°C, which is 70% lower than that of the CFAC. The blowing angle between the left and right side of the SIAC is 106°, which is 31% higher than that of the CFAC. Therefore, the overall thermal comfort of the six-impeller mode is better, and the control effect of indoor environment is satisfactory.

Cite this article

WANG Jiahao , LIU Xiaomin , TIAN Chenye , WU Liming , XI Guang . Indoor Environment Control Effect Based on Multi-Impeller Air Conditioner[J]. Journal of Thermal Science, 2022 , 31(6) : 2137 -2154 . DOI: 10.1007/s11630-022-1537-5

References

[1] Dear R., Akimoto T., Arens E.A., et al., Progress in thermal comfort research over the last 20 years. Indoor Air, 2013, 23(6): 442–461.
[2] Liu W., Jin M., Chen C., et al., Optimization of air supply location, size, and parameters in enclosed environments using a computational fluid dynamics-based adjoint method. Journal of Building Performance Simulation, 2016, 9(2): 149–161.
[3] Fan J., Zhou Q., A Review about thermal comfort in aircraft. Journal of Thermal science, 2018, 28(2): 13–27.
[4] Leaman A., Bordass B., Assessing building performance in use 4: the Probe occupant surveys and their implications. Building Research & Information, 2001, 29(2): 129–143.
[5] Hua J., Qin O., Wang Y., et al., A dynamic air supply device used to produce simulated natural wind in an indoor environment. Building and Environment, 2012, 47(1): 349–356.
[6] Li Z., Zhang J., Zhivov A., et al., Christianson, characteristics of diffuser air jets supply and airflow in the occupied regions of mechanically ventilated rooms: a literature review. Ashrae Transactions, 1993, 99(1): 1119–1126.
[7] Mashita T., Kanayama T., Ratsamee P., Personal atmosphere: estimation of air conditioner parameters for personalizing thermal comfort. Applied Sciences, 2020, 10(22): 8067.
[8] Baker R.J., Willianms P.T., Kelso R.M., Numerical calculation of room air motion-part 1: math, physics and CFD modeling. New York, 1994, pp. 514–530.
[9] Chen Q., Xu W., A zero-equation turbulence model for indoor airflow simulation. Energy and Buildings, 1998, 28(2): 137–144.
[10] Xu W., Chen Q., A two-layer turbulence model for simulating indoor airflow: Part II. Applications. Energy and Buildings, 2001, 33(6): 627–639.
[11] Wang Y., Zhao T., Cao Z., et al., The influence of indoor thermal conditions on ventilation flow and pollutant dispersion in downstream industrial workshop. Building and Environment, 2021, 187(1): 107400.
[12] Mu D., Gao N., Zhu T., CFD investigation on the effects of wind and thermal wall-flow on pollutant transmission in a high-rise building. Building and Environment, 2018, 137(6): 185–197.
[13] Cheng S.F., Luo W.J., Wu Y.L., et al., The effect of air supply and air exhaust locations on particle restraint and removal in a laboratory utilizing a Lagrangian particle-tracking method. International Journal of Physical Sciences, 2010, 5(13): 35–50.
[14] Kuncoro C., Luo W.J., Selamet M.R., et al., Automatic wireless ambient air and weather condition monitoring system for outdoor environment monitoring applications. Sensors and Materials, 2020, 32(1): 33–37.
[15] Bojic M., Yik F., Lo T.Y., Locating air-conditioners and furniture inside residential flats to obtain good thermal comfort. Energy and Building, 2002, 34(7): 745–751.
[16] Ning M., Song M., Chan M., et al., Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling of air flow field, mean age of air and CO2 distributions inside a bedroom with different heights of conditioned air supply outlet. Applied Energy, 2016, 164(15): 906–915.
[17] Yang B., Sekhar C., Three-dimension numerical simulation of a hybrid fresh air and re-circulated air diffuser for decoupled ventilation strategy. Building and Environment, 2007, 42(5): 1975–1982.
[18] Cao R., Jian C., Xiao L., et al., CFD study on indoor temperature distribution of a new type of room air conditioner. Fluid Machinery, 2019, 47(10): 71–75.
[19] Wang H.C., Shan X.Z., Yang Z.G., Heat dissipation optimization of vehicle front end based on matrix fan. Journal of Xi’an Jiaotong University, 2018, 52(1): 69–76.
[20] Dhamneya A.K., Rajput S.P.S., Singh A., Theoretical performance analysis of window air conditioner combined with evaporative cooling for better indoor thermal comfort and energy saving. Journal of Building Engineering, 2018, 17(5): 52–64.
[21] Wang T.T., Jagarwal A., Wagner J.R., et al., Optimization of an automotive radiator fan array operation to reduce power consumption. IEEE Transactions on Mechatronics, 2015, 20(5): 2359–2369.
[22] Foton, e-AlR opens up a new era of bus energy system. http://www.cvworld.cn, 2013(accessed on July 13, 2013).
[23] Zhou Y.K., Research on air distribution and energy consumption of wind wall data center. Xi’an University of Electronic Science and Technology, Xi’an, China, 2015.
[24] Fanger P.O., Thermal comfort: analysis and applications in environmental engineering. Thermal Comfort Analysis & Applications in Environmental Engineering, 1972.
[25] Moderate thermal environments-determination of the PMV and PPD indices and specification of the conditions for thermal comfort. International Standard ISO 7730, 2010.
[26] Wu Y., Liu H., Li B., et al., Thermal comfort criteria for personal air supply in aircraft cabins in winter. Building and Environment, 2017, 125(11): 373–382.
[27] Thermal comfort requirements and evaluation for indoor environment. Standards of Power Industry of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing, China, 2017.
[28] Comfort requirements and evaluation methods of artificial heterogeneous thermal environment for room air conditioner. Standards of Shanghai Institute of Refrigeration, Shanghai, 2017.
Outlines

/