Numerical investigation of air conditioners' control unit position on temperature distribution and energy consumptions of a room

Abstract

Minimum temperature difference should be achieved in conditioned rooms to meet comfort criteria. It is desired that the temperature set by a user from the control unit, should be the same in the entire room. Therefore, the position of the control unit plays a significant role in order to achieve a homogeneous temperature distribution in the room. In this study, the effect of control unit positioning on temperature and velocity distributions in a room, where a cassette type indoor unit was applied, was numerically investigated. Blowing temperature and speed of the indoor unit has been adjusted by the temperature value that measured by a control unit which was placed at five different locations, in order to examine positioning effects of the control unit. Predicted percentage dissatisfied (PPD) values were calculated, and uncomfortable zones were determined by 2-dimensional analyses. Cooling loads, as well as energy consumptions, were calculated and their variations according to the position of control unit was figured out in steady state conditions. The results showed that control unit positioning not only influences the comfort levels or temperature distributions in a room but also energy consumptions.