Real scale Validation Measurements of Indoor Buoyant Convection

Indoor buoyant convection is a topic, where in strong contrast to the field of forced convection by ventilation systems, publications of measured data including all necessary boundary conditions for numerical simulations are very scarce. For this reason it is difficult for users of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation software to validate their results. This is a significant obstacle especially for beginners in the field of CFD. A project of Technische Universität München and Universtität Kassel is aimed to change the situation by two-dimensional velocity measurements of cases of free convection in a real scale setup via Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV)/Particle Streak Velocimetry (PSV). The results are meant to lay solid ground for the validation of CFD-simulations dealing with indoor conditions. The measurements in the first stage of the project take several aspects of indoor buoyant convection into account and will also start to investigate the efficiency of window ventilation due to temperature differences. By use of the two-dimensional measurements of air velocities, air and surface temperatures it is possible to gain comfort criteria and to compare them to field studies with test persons. Electronic publishing of the measured data as well as of all needed boundary conditions for validation use is planned to start by the date of the conference. A web-based platform will enable discussions among registered users and the publication of own simulation results in later stages of the project.