What we do in our Innovation Hub for Buildings

We innovate ventilation solutions to our customers for commercial buildings. Here we mention a few measurements of what we are able to do.

CFD – Computational Fluid Dynamics

Halton Innovation HUB offers computational fluid dynamics (CFD) services for simulating indoor climate conditions and optimizing them. CFD is suitable for a wide range of indoor environmental solutions and is especially useful when physical tests are difficult to set up. The ability to produce accurate simulations with Halton’s CFD models has been validated by comparing them with actual laboratory measurements. The possibility to use exact information on the construction and dimensions of Halton’s products is an important factor in generating accurate results.

The first step in a CFD is to define the geometric model of the actual project site as accurately as possible, with dimensions, furnishings, thermal loads, and technical systems whose features match the plans and actual site as closely as possible. Typical space is a single room, or a selected portion of it when considering for example a very large hall.

The basic parameters for the CFD are:

• The velocity of air (or other fluid)
• The density of air (or other fluid)
• Pressure
• Temperature

and other parameters that are commonly included or calculated from the basic parameters are:

• Thermal radiation
• Age of air/Air change effectiveness
• Migration of particles, droplets, etc.
• Humidity
• Comfort factors (Draught rate, PMV, PPD)

The software used is ANSYS CFX or ANSYS Fluent. Most simulations can be run using Halton’s own computing workstation dedicated primarily for numerical simulations. For very large cases there is an option to purchase cloud computing time from external service providers.

Very small and simple CFD cases usually take a day or a couple of days to complete, including few hours of computing time. On the other end, very large and complex cases can take some weeks, which includes dozens of hours of computing time.

Halton Mock-up – Full-scale test for indoor environment

Creating a high-quality indoor environment for buildings requires well-functioning design solutions, but how can you ensure that the design solution chosen produces the desired indoor air quality level in the building?

With full-scale mock-ups, we help our customers ensure that the chosen building engineering solutions work and produce the desired indoor environment conditions.

Full-scale mock-up testing is particularly recommendable for projects in which the site’s structure and/or the HVAC system differs substantially from standard applications.

Our big model hall enables performing full-scale mock-up tests with an area of up to 400 square meters and height as great as 10 meters.

Test space for large-scale demonstrations and measurements

• Floor area 25 m * 15 m
• Adjustable ceiling height between 2.5 – 10 m
• Lifted ceilings in five different sections
• Total airflow rate up to 1,500 l/s

Full-scale indoor environment mock-up tests study the functionality of the designed building engineering solutions in standardized laboratory conditions that correspond to real-life usage.

The conditions are usually tested at least in extreme situations – i.e., in circumstances involving maximum heating or cooling requirements.

These tests usually measure the following features in the space:

• Air temperature
• Air velocity
• Air turbulence
• Radiation temperature

These values can be used for the calculation of indices that indicate the thermal conditions in the space and even to evaluate the percentage of users satisfied with the thermal conditions.

Mock-up rooms

A full-scale mock-up test set-up involves building a model or test space in line with the actual project site as accurately as possible, with measurements, furnishings, and technical systems whose functionality matches the plans / actual site as closely as possible. The typical test space is a room or a part of a larger area. Customer-based indoor climate testing and measuring

Throw length measurement room

Throw length measurements in stable conditions for determinate product characteristics (velocity measurement)

• Room size 10 * 6 m, height 2.4 – 3.2 m
• Minimum velocity to be measured 0.05 m/s
• Applying standards ISO 5219 and ISO 5167
• Airflow rate up to 250 l/s
• Computer-controlled measuring robot

Acoustic measurement room

Sound measurement in reverberation room for sound developments and attenuations

• Space volume 200 m³ with absorption area of ~ 209 m²
• Able to measure frequencies between 125 – 10.000 Hz (63 Hz also possible)
• Definition of sound power level ISO 3741
• Definition of compensating attenuation ISO 7235,
• Definition of airflow rate with orifice plate ISO 5167
• Reverberation times 2 – 9 s (hard room, dependent on frequency)
• Airflow rate up to 2,000 l/s