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Space Air Diffusion Laboratory

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Conference

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

New Orleans, Louisiana

Publication Date

June 26, 2016

Start Date

June 26, 2016

End Date

June 29, 2016

ISBN

978-0-692-68565-5

ISSN

2153-5965

Conference Session

Using Laboratories for Instruction in Mechanical Engineering

Tagged Division

Mechanical Engineering

Page Count

15

DOI

10.18260/p.25847

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/25847

Download Count

555

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Paper Authors

biography

John E Matsson Oral Roberts University

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John Matsson is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK. He earned M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden in 1988 and 1994 respectively.

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biography

Matthew Raman Fulton Oral Roberts University

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Matthew Fulton is a senior Mechanical Engineering Student at Oral Roberts University

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Brennan T. Harrup Oral Roberts University

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Brennan Harrup is a senior Mechanical Engineering Student at Oral Roberts University with a Biochemistry minor.

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Meagan N Case Oral Roberts University

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A senior student in Mechanical Engineering at Oral Roberts University, about to graduate. Interested in manufacturing/design.

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Abstract

Space air diffusion systems are an integral part of any HVAC system. The design of the system includes finding the best location for introduction of air into the room. Furthermore, the velocity of the air entering the room has to be at a level such that air is entrained from the room.

This paper involves the design, building, and testing of a space air diffusion laboratory setup for undergraduate engineering students. The laboratory will enable students to conduct hands-on visualizations and measurements of laminar, transitional and turbulent iso-thermal ceiling wall air-jets and room air motion.

Students designed the space air diffusion experimental test set-up for the fluids laboratory and the project was funded by the ASHRAE Senior Undergraduate Project Grant Program. A group of students in the manufacturing processes and fluid mechanics courses designed the experimental set-up for Pitot-tube and hot-wire anemometry measurements of the flow field. The overall objective was to engage the students in a design project and the paper will provide details of assessment and outcomes for the project.

The students designed the apparatus using SolidWorks CAD software and ANSYS Fluent software was used for CFD simulations of the flow field. The components used in the design were blower, settling chamber, honeycomb, screens and a 3D printed contraction in the shape of a fifth order polynomial to minimize the turbulence level of the flow entering the 2,440 mm long plane channel with a cross section height of 10 mm and a width of 232 mm. This plane channel section was used to get a fully developed flow entering the model room for calibration of the hot-wire anemometer. The dimensions of the model room were a height of 232 mm, a width of 232 mm, and a length of 464 mm.

The ceiling wall jet was discharged parallel and adjacent to the straight horizontal ceiling of the model room. The jet developed along the ceiling surface of the room and entrained air from the room as its velocity deceased when it moved into the room. The maximum velocity remained close to the ceiling surface with the distance that the ceiling jet adhered to the surface depending on the relative influence of inertia and gravity.

Matsson, J. E., & Fulton, M. R., & Harrup, B. T., & Case, M. N. (2016, June), Space Air Diffusion Laboratory Paper presented at 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana. 10.18260/p.25847

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