ZAER: A Zonal Model for Heat Transfer and Air Flow in Unconditioned Buildings - An Experimental Validation

This paper presents a three-dimensional zonal model, ZAER, for heat transfer and air flow calculations. It is based on an intermediate approach between single-air-node and CFD models. The indoor air volume is divided into macroscopic homogeneous zones. Heat and mass balance equations are written for each zone, while the mass flow rates across the interfaces are calculated by power pressure laws. The simulation tool ZAER allows the determination of temperature fields and air flow distributions inside unconditioned buildings, taking into account external boundary conditions. We also present an experimental validation of the model by comparing its predictions with experimental data obtained from measurements on the experimental cell Minibat (CETHIL, INSA Lyon Laboratory), for different configurations. The results obtained are in good agreement with experimental data, and suggest that the ZAER model is an appropriate tool to assess satisfactorily temperature heterogeneity and air movement within a room.