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CFD SIMULATION OF AIR TEMPERATURE STRATIFICATION IN HISTORICAL BUILDING OF THEATRE

Martin Kováč

Abstract

This article describes the research aimed at analyses of the present state of indoor environment in historical building of State Theatre in Kosice. The representative building of the State Theatre was built in a Neo-baroque style according to projects of Adolf Lang during the years 1879-1899. The goal of research is to take measure the level of indoor air quality, improve the energy performance of building and its HVAC systems. The one of many partial tasks is also the analyses of air temperature stratification in the theatre by using progressive method - CFD simulation. The air handling units installed in the basement of the theatre building provide the ventilation, heating and cooling of the theatre space. There are used air inlets only in the floor of auditorium. The exhaust fan with exhaust ventilation duct is situated in the space between the ceiling of auditorium and roof of the building. The net height of auditorium space is about 15.0 m. The individual air handling unit provides the thermal comfort for actors at the stage in the theatre. The projected air volume flow for the auditorium is at the level of 19 500 m3/h, for the theatre stage is at the level of 15 600 m3/h. The total theatre capacity is about 500 audiences. The CFD simulation of air distribution in the theatre solves the different states of indoor conditions in the theatre during the year by setting different boundary and initial conditions (air temperature at the inlets, quantity of air volume flow, number of audience or actors at the theatre stage, heat flow from different heat sources like an artificial lighting etc.). The partial results from CFD simulation of air distribution in theatre show that the air temperature range is between 20 and 28 °C under these conditions: full occupancy, the air temperature at inlets 20°C, 30% of maximum air volume flow in the air inlets. The high air temperature gradient between the bottom and the top of the theatre space can cause the missing air inlets in the floors of balconies at the second and third floor.

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