Project 02 / Thermal comfort · Air distribution

The Switch C01.1 Apartment AC Thermal CFD Assessment

Cooling capacity confirmed and an air-distribution weakness isolated before occupancy.

Location
23/25 Lachlan Avenue, Macquarie Park, NSW
Project context
Compact student accommodation room · Engineering consultant: Confidential

Macquarie Park building render

Headline result≈ 15 min pull-down
Verified3 discharge angles
Verified20 assessment planes
VerifiedCapacity confirmed

The study

Adequate pull-down did not guarantee uniform comfort.

Challenge

A single-way cassette had to condition corridor, kitchen and bedroom zones under realistic occupancy, equipment, solar and infiltration loads.

Method

Transient CFD compared 60°, 30° and 15° discharge angles, mapping temperature and velocity across fifteen horizontal planes and five vertical planes.

Outcome

The room reached its target average temperature in approximately fifteen minutes, but every configuration showed weaker bedroom air movement and persistent non-uniformity, providing a clear basis for diffuser redesign.