Fundamental Heat Transfer Research with Building Energy Applications

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Computer simulation has become a fundamental tool for the design of energy efficient buildings. It is widely used to calculate thermal loads, to size heating and cooling equipment and to evaluate the energy impact of key design options. However, several recent studies have shown that the treatment of convective heat transfer at indoor building surfaces is a critical "weak link" in these simulations. The goal of this research is to conduct fundamental studies of convective heat transfer for configurations of importance for building energy simulation. These studies will investigate the underlying fluid mechanics and heat transfer phenomena associated with both heating and cooling modes, with a focus on heat exchange in the perimeter zones of buildings. It is also proposed to develop new measurement techniques in laser interferometry to facilitate the study of unsteady and turbulent flows. Laser-optical measurements and flow visualization will be used to refine and validate modeling performed using computational fluid dynamics. The long term objective is to enhance our understanding of the underlying physics of the highly complex flows that are encountered in buildings. This knowledge will be applied to improve the accuracy of heat transfer predictions and the reliability of building energy analysis. Improvements in the capability to predict the thermal performance of buildings will lead to more comfortable and energy efficient designs. Lower fossil fuel consumption will abate air pollution and contribute to Canada's national objectives for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The proposed research will be undertaken as an integrated program involving a balance between state-of-the-art experimental methods and computational fluid dynamics modeling. This research will provide extensive training experiences for Doctoral, Master's and Undergraduate students, and will lead to fundamental advances in the field of heat transfer.