Abstract
There is a potential to reduce residential energy consumption by harnessing “accessible and cost-effective technologies” such as a highly efficient heating system. In this study, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation is carried out on the baseline and modified versions of the baseline residential building’s heating system. The results are compared to investigate optimization opportunities. The modifications were limited to a specified room which included changing the location of air vents, the size of the air vents and the air flowrate. Performance criteria for the models included ASHRAE’s thermal comfort assessment, freshness of air using Simscale’s passive scalar source tool, heating efficiency, temperature distribution and air velocity efficiency. The results show that models with a higher air supply vents performed better particularly for thermal comfort and air velocity efficiency while lower air supply models performed better for temperature distribution and heating efficiency. The models which showed better performance for heating and temperature distribution did not meet standards for thermal comfort, but the results provide a roadmap for innovative energy-efficient residential heating systems design.
