Basics of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for Sustainable Laboratories

Air is the primary carrier of heat, moisture, and contaminants in laboratory spaces. Therefore, proper airflow management is the key for effective ventilation of labs. The design risk due to poor airflow management in lab spaces is often realized after commissioning and occupancy. Sometimes it is too late to mitigate the issues due to poor airflow management and modify the lab HVAC design. The science of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) can help in identifying such risks at early stages in the design and help optimize the lab HVAC designs for effective and energy efficient performance. With increased emphasis on high performance and energy efficient building operations, the use of CFD as a design and analysis tool is increasing. However, beyond the colorful pictures, there is a lack of understanding about the basics, benefits, limitations, and pitfalls of CFD technology. This training session will provide a brief overview of nuts and bolts of CFD for owners, architects, and design engineers and what to watch in the CFD simulations beyond colorful pictures. This lecture will include a brief description of basic laws of Physics which govern the transportation of momentum, heat, and contaminants which are basis of CFD simulations. It will then walk the attendees through a step-by-step process of developing CFD analysis. It will briefly describe the importance of turbulence and how it is accounted for in the CFD. Finally this lecture will educate attendees on converged CFD simulation and why it is important. It will show pitfalls and best practices for the each step in the CFD process. This lecture will be presented in an entertaining manner with easy to understand language without incomprehensive jargon of fluid mechanics and CFD. This lecture will help attendees separate substance and value out of CFD simulations and will discuss a few selected applications of CFD for laboratory ventilation systems including laboratory design optimization, demand control ventilation, and stack exhaust plume dispersion.

I2SL acknowledges AnSight LLC for developing and offering this workshop.

Who Should Attend This Course?

This course is recommended for, but not limited to, the following occupations:

  • Architects
  • Engineers
  • Facility owners and managers
  • Mechanical, engineering, and plumbing professionals
  • Project managers
  • Construction/contracting managers
  • Commissioning specialists
  • Laboratory equipment manufacturers
  • Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®)-accredited professionals
  • Safety, health, and environmental management professionals
  • Laboratory users
  • Students in any of the above-mentioned fields

Instructor

Dr. Kishor Khankari, Ph.D. is President of AnSight LLC in Ann Arbor. He provides engineering solutions and insights through CFD analysis. Kishor has more than 25 years of experience in providing optimized HVAC solutions to a wide variety of applications involving plume dispersion from stack exhaust and cooling towers, active chilled beams, demand control ventilation, fume hood performance analysis, and similar other HVAC applications. Dr. Khankari has developed a patented technology of a wind band design of exhaust fan assembly systems.

A noted expert in CFD, he has a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota and has been regularly published in several technical journals and trade magazines. Dr. Khankari has given several presentations worldwide at various technical conferences and ASHRAE Chapters on topics related to design and optimization of HVAC systems.

Dr. Kishor Khankari is a Fellow member of ASHRAE and ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer. He is recipient of ASHRAE Distinguished and Exceptional Service Award. He is a past President of Detroit ASHRAE Chapter, past Chair of ASHRAE Technical Committee TC9.11 Clean Spaces, and ASHRAE Research Administration Committee (RAC). He is member of ASHRAE Environmental Health Committee and currently leading ASHRAE Multi Task Group (MTG) on Air Change Rates and I2SL working group on Ventilation Effectiveness for Laboratory (VEL).

 

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