Better HVAC Designs Using Autodesk CFD for an Airport Expansion Project

The passenger terminal building (PTB) is a very important feature of a modern, international airport complex. Expansion of an airport is aimed at design and construction of additional buildings and facilities to service growing international and domestic passenger traffic. The baggage reclaim hall on the arrival side and check-in hall on the departure side are large-volume spaces in a PTB, requiring proper distribution of conditioned air for adequate human comfort. In this class, we’ll look at how Autodesk CFD software is used to evaluate air-conditioning design. We’ll highlight the importance of airflow and temperature distribution from Autodesk CFD results to ascertain indoor air quality and thermal environment. We’ll detail strategies for modeling airflow and heat transfer with best practices for flow and heat load characterization. And we’ll address challenges of unacceptable thermal environment (hot spots) through design changes and optimization of supply flow rates and discharge angles, resulting in better designs.