Numerical Analysis of Different Indoor Heating Methods

Several studies have been performed to analyse heating systems according to low energy consumption and efficient heat dissipation through the heated space. In this research, three dimensional numerical study is performed to compare between three different types of heating systems. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are used to study the indoor heating under three techniques: air heating, radiator and underfloor systems for a single room. Temperature and velocity distribution inside the room are analyzed to access the comfort percentages according to ASHRAE standards [1]. ANSYS Fluent 19.0 is used to perform the study. Navier Stokes equations are computed using a coupled solver between velocity and pressure. As for the temperature, energy equation with a second order upwind is adopted. Turbulence is modeled with a k-ϵ model [2] [3]. The three systems are widely used but according to a certain conditions for this study, underfloor heating system can be chosen due to better thermal comfort through temperature homogeneity, in addition to a better flow circulation in the room.