Design and Optimization of a Displacement Ventilation System for a Large Retail Store

Isabelle Lavedrine, Peter Alspach, Alisdair McGregor, and Sean Timmons, Arup

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Abstract

This paper describes the use of combined thermal and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis for the design of an inverted displacement ventilation system in a large retail store. The analysis was used to demonstrate the system performance and energy savings to the owner, in order to facilitate the acceptance of the system and replacement of the owner’s standard overhead mixing, plenum box air supply. The CFD analysis demonstrated that the proposed system would perform as intended, would meet the owner’s temperature requirements, and would improve the design by optimizing supply temperature and volumetric flow rate. A life cycle cost analysis showed the possible economic benefits for the proposed displacement ventilation system compared to the owner’s standard system. The proposed building site is situated near Dallas, Texas. Once built, the owner will monitor the store with displacement ventilation and compare its energy performance with a nearby store utilizing their standard, overhead plenum-box system. This comparison will be made public following the analysis period in a separate report by the owner.