Paper Conference

Proceedings of SimBuild Conference 2008: 3rd conference of IBPSA-USA

     

Modeling of Underfloor Air Distribution (UFAD) Systems

Tom Webster, Fred Bauman, Fred Buhl, Allan Daly
Center for the Built Environment (CBE), University of California, Berkeley, CA
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA
Taylor Engineering, Alameda, CA

Abstract: In this paper, we discuss the development of a module that is capable for the first time of simulating UFAD systems in EnergyPlus. We describe the new models for EnergyPlus that simulate two important elements of these systems: underfloor air supply plenums and room air stratification under cooling operation. These algorithms were developed over a 5-year period of intensive interdisciplinary work consisting of theory, bench-scale and full-scale experimental testing, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), analytical, and empirical modeling. We describe the modeling methods, show examples of a preliminary validation based on experimental data, and present results of research studies that have significantly contributed to a more complete understanding of the behavior of UFAD systems.
Pages: 214 - 221
Paper:
simbuild2008_TS11-1-Webster