Investigation of the potential benefits of optimizing building element placement using computational fluid dynamics

AbstractBuildings are responsible for more than one-third ofglobal energy consumption, motivating the use ofmodeling to improve energy efficiency whilemaintaining occupant comfort. While conventionalenergy models are based on well-mixed zones, weexplore the potential benefits of using high-fidelitymodels to optimize the exact placement of buildingelements. Specifically, we model a single-roomenvironment and apply computational fluid dynamics tocompare 36 mechanical configurations of supply andreturn vents combined with 9 occupant locations. Resultsindicate the same forced-air cooling input may producelocation-specific temperatures and air velocities thatvary significantly depending on the configuration ofbuilding elements