Simulation studies on a kitchen ventilation system

The efficiency of a kitchen ventilation system is usually determined by its ability in heat and effluent removal. The main part of a ventilation system is the hood, with its face (or capture) velocity. Heat generation associated with the cooking process is the main factor that affects the thermal comfort. The heat removal capability is studied under different capture velocities so as to determine the minimum requirement for efficient removal of heat and effluent. Four arrangements of make-up air are simulated, with air coming from the front of hood, from the ceiling, from the underneath burner and from the wall. Various angles are also attempted as the direction of the make-up air coming from the wall. Finally the interaction between the kitchen and the refreshment area will be studied. All simulation works were performed using the CFD package, FLUENT (V4.3).