Abstract—The objective of this study is to propose an approach concerning the integration of indoor humidity sources in CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations for buildings. The numerical model is based on source terms of mass and energy, added in the conservation of water vapor equation and energy balance equation. The equation governing the conservation of water vapor is added to the basic equations dealing with turbulent non-isothermal confined air flows in CFD models. This method allows achieving values of air velocity, air temperature and air humidity (relative humidity or moisture content) all over the computational domain. The methodology is exemplified for the case study of an office with mixing ventilation system, the sources of humidity being represented by people. The results of this study can be used in analyses focused on thermal comfort and indoor air quality. Finally, the numerical description of water vapor sources proposed here can be easily extrapolated for other indoor humidity sources.

Index Terms—computational fluid dynamics model, humidity sources, indoor air quality, thermal comfort, ventilation

Cite: Cătălin Teodosiu, Viorel Ilie, and Raluca Teodosiu, "Modeling of Water Vapor Sources in Enclosures," International Journal of Structural and Civil Engineering Research, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 212-217, May 2015. doi: 10.18178/ijscer.4.2.212-217