Design and Analysis of HVAC Equipment

Many HVAC devices such as diffusers and chilled beams rely on the Coanda effect. This is the tendency of a moving fluid to attach itself to a surface and flow along it. As a fluid moves across a surface it encounters resistance (skin friction) at the surface. This resistance slows the fluid and pulls it towards the surface causing it to stick to the surface. The cold air from a chilled beam will stick to the ceiling until it runs out of momentum and will then fall from the ceiling some distance from the beam because it is heavier than the warm surrounding air. In this way the effect of the chilled beam can be felt far away from its location on the ceiling.

CFD software solves equations that encapsulate the physics of fluid flow. The software can replicate the Coanda effect and is an invaluable tool with which to design and analyse a wide range of HVAC equipment. Atkinson Science regularly creates models of diffusers in order to generate the inlet conditions for much larger models of occupied spaces and storage spaces. We also create models of stacks to provide the stack exit conditions in much larger models of the dispersion of pollutants from buildings. Click on the links below to read some of our case studies or contact us if you need design or analysis of HVAC equipment. Contact us.