Numerical Investigations of Air-Conditioning Inside a Passenger Compartment
摘要
This study investigates the optimal configuration of outlet vents in an air-conditioned train compartment to enhance thermal comfort. Three-dimensional numerical model for simulating turbulent flow is developed using ANSYS Fluent and validated with the available data. It demonstrates a better correlation with prior findings. Three cases are considered with vent outlets: In Case 1, two on top and one on bottom; in Case 2, one at top and two on bottom; in Case 3 three on bottom. A RANS solver with realizable \(k - \varepsilon\) model is deployed to study velocity and temperature distribution inside the passenger compartment for different outlet positions keeping the supply position fixed. Results show that symmetrical outlet placement significantly improves temperature distribution and airflow symmetry. Among the configurations tested, Case 3 was found as optimal, achieving the most uniform temperature distribution and enhanced velocity distribution. The maximum temperature difference and velocity is observed to be 3.02 K and 0.31 m/s, respectively. These findings underscore the critical role of outlet vent positioning in optimizing passenger comfort within air-conditioned environments.