• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.397-403
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• 2005

The thermal comfort of occupants is directly related to several environmental factors such as velocity of air flow, turbulence intensity and temperature distribution of indoor air. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the indoor air flow and temperature distribution in office area using under-floor air-conditioning system (UFAC System) based on the results from physical measurements and to perform a Computer Fluid Dynamics (CFD) under the same condition of inlet and outlet as field measurement. The results from the CFD simulation are similar to those from the field measurement. The results show that UFAC system is provide proper indoor condition for occupants.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.301-312
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• 1999

Experiments were carried out to evaluate performance of the cold air distribution systems with an ice storage tank in test room. Cold air distribution systems provide primary air for comfort conditioning or process cooling at coil discharge temperatures$4^{\circ}C$ to$11^{\circ}C$. The application of a cold air distribution system allows for the downsizing of air distribution equipment and central plant equipment when ice storage tank is used. The benefit of a cold air distribution system include a decrease in the floor-to-floor height, increase floor space, reduced building capital costs, reduced energy use and demand. The use of cold air distribution can result in the most cost effective system and is currently being implemented world wise as the new standard in air conditioning systems. In this study, the cold air distribution system is compared with the general ice storage system. Under the same cooling load conditions, experimental results show that the supply air volume of cold air distribution system decrease 38%, and decrease 45% flow rate of brine for the general ice storage system.

• International Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.67-72
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• 2003

A partition integrated air supply system can provide highly personalized environmental control. The supply air is brought up through raised floors and supplied to outlets located on the partition panels. The purpose of this paper is to find out the best design of outlets for optimal occupant comfort within a personal task area. Real scale experiments were conducted to allow for comparisons of outlet designs within a personal task area. Experimental results indicate that the location of an outlet is the most critical factor in improving the efficiency of supply air distribution of a personal task area. Thermal characteristic comparisons were made between the under-floor and the partition supply systems. Experimental results suggest that the partition supply system is more efficient than the under-floor supply system in terms of cooling. Such a system allows occupants to personally control their immediate environment, resulting in higher productivity.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.25-33
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• 2020

It has been reported about the energy saving performance of UFAD(under floor air distribution) system and NPC(night purge cooling) system respectively which are applied for commercial buildings. However, when two systems are used at the same time, the effect of heat transfer from floor plenum to slab may vary depending on the operating conditions of NPC. In this study, cooling energy demands were analyzed for building models with UFAD and NPC by using TRNSYS 17 program. UFAD was applied as a cooling system of the base building model, and the cooling energy demands were compared for 64 cases in which the operating time, supply airflow rate, and outdoor air temperature(T_o) of NPC. As a result, it was confirmed that the cooling energy demands were reduced to 30 ~ 80% level compared to UFAD alone, and in particular, the energy demand was reduced in proportion to the supply airflow rate or the operating time while T_o was 16 ~ 20℃. However, when T_o was 22℃, the increase in the supply airflow rate or the operating time results in a disadvantage in terms of cooling energy demands. In addition, the cooling energy demands for UFAD+NPC model were analyzed by applying weather data from three regions with different average outdoor air temperatures. As a result, the cooling energy demand of operating NPC only when T_o was below 20℃ was reduced by 27% compared to that of operating NPC continuously for 8 hours.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.92-99
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to apply pressurized plenum under floor air conditioning system to office areas to understand characteristics of indoor thermal environment based on forms of diffusers. For doing this, the author conducted experiment of module measurement, and based on the results, analyzed indoor temperature distribution and velocity distribution based on direction of diffusion by using Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD), and estimated the Predicted Mean Vote(PMV) of residents based on forms of diffusers to present the optimal air conditioning of the pressurized plenum under floor air conditioning system in heating. The results of this study are as follows. First, as for forms of diffusers, distributed diffusers rather than conical and grill diffusers were favorable in maintaining $24^{\circ}C$, the established temperature in heating, were active in velocity flowing, and were wide in a radius of diffusion. Second, as for position of pressurizing, the difference between upper and lower temperature was wider in center, lateral, and dispersed pressurizing (in order). As for velocity distribution, the velocity was more increased in lateral, center, and dispersed pressurizing(in order), indicating that dispersed pressurizing maintained uniform thermal environment. Third, as for diffusion direction, mixed direction showed less difference between upper and lower temperature and the difference in velocity between center and lateral part was 0.01m/1, indicating that it maintained uniform thermal environment. Fourth, as for the PMV of residents based on the forms of diffusers, the dispersed type showed(+) values above (0) when applied variably based on the position of diffuser, presenting thermal feeling of "being comfortable" to residents.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.85-96
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• 2002

Recently the number of auditoriums such as theaters, assembly halls, and concert halls is increasing in Korea. Auditoriums have generally large space volume, have a high density of occupancy per unit floor area, compared to other buildings. Since they have relatively high ceilings, some heat may stratify above the occupied zone. The under floor air conditioning system, which is set under seats, is frequently selected in an auditorium, because typical air conditioning system where air is supplied from ceilings often causes drafts and unequal temperature distribution. Therefore, this study aims to suggest basic data for air conditioning system design of a middle-sized auditorium. Features and problems of air conditioning system of an auditorium which has about 500 seats are investigated as a case study. In addition, indoor thermal comfort and cooling energy consumption are analyzed with a CFD program and an energy analysis program.

• Proceedings of the SAREK Conference
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.15-20
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• 2006

Despite the fact that UFAD (Under Floor Air Distribution) systems have many benefits and are being applied in the field in increasing numbers, there is a strong need for an improved fundamental understanding of several key performance features of these systems. This study numerically investigates the effect of design parameters on the performance of UFAD, especially focused on thermal comfort. The design parameters considered in this study include supplied air temperature, supplied flow rate, diffuser shape, swirl, diffuser location, and floor-to-floor height. Also this study has compared UFAD with over head system, on the point of thermal comfort by evaluating PMV using radiative mean temperature, which shows how inadequate the evaluation of thermal comfort can be when radiation is neglected. Until now, the radiative temperature has been the missing link between CFD and thermal comfort, but the present study paves the way for overcoming this weakness.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.711-717
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• 2008

Despite the fact that UFAD(Under Floor Air Distribution) systems have many benefits and are being applied in the field in increasing numbers, there is a strong need for an improved fundamental understanding of several key performance features of these systems. This study numerically investigates the effect of supplied air temperature and supplied flow rate on the performance of UFAD, especially focused on thermal comfort. Also this study has compared UFAD with conventional overhead air distribution system. In contrast to the well-mixed room air conditions of the conventional overheat system, UFAD system produces an overall floor-to-ceiling airflow pattern that takes advantage of the natural buoyancy produced by heat sources in the occupied zone and more efficiently removes heat loads and contaminants from the space. Thermal comfort parameters were evaluated by CFD approach and then PMV was computed to detect the occupants' thermal sensation. Results show that radiative mean temperature plays crucial role on the evaluating PMV. Until now, the radiative temperature has been the missing link between CFD and thermal comfort, but the present study paves the way for overcoming this weakness.

• Proceedings of the SAREK Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.552-557
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• 2007

Due to the recent improvement of living standard of residential buildings, the requirements of the thermal comfort and energy saving in heating system have been raised. The radiant floor heating system has been widely used as a residential heating method, which has been modernized to use hot water running into the tubes embedded in the floor structure. The uniform flow distribution is very important factor for a radiant floor heating system such as a blood vessel system in human body. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the operating characteristics to develop an optimal radiant floor heating system. In this study, numerical analyses were carried out, using a commercial CFD code, FLUENT, to obtain the velocity distribution under steady, three-dimensional, standard k-$\varepsilon$ model and no-slip condition. Results are graphically depicted with various parameters.

• Proceedings of the SAREK Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.211-216
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• 2005

The authors carried out experiment, Computer Fluid Dynamics(CFD) and energy simulation of simulator. As a results of experiment and CFD, diffuser velocity is very important design factor for occupied zone air conditioning in Under Floor Air Distribution(UFAD) system. Then, in contrast to energy consumption of the Overhead system, the UFAD system could reduce 6.4% of the total energy because of occupied tone air conditioning. It concluded that tile UFAD system is more effective in energy Performance than the Overhead system.