Integrated CFD-VR Visualization of Indoor Displacement Ventilation

Abstract The utilization of modeling and simulation techniques is increasingly prevalent in engineering and research fields, particularly in energy efficiency and modeling. These tools offer cost-effective and flexible means of exploring diverse scenarios, including improvement in indoor thermal comfort and advancements in internal energy efficiency through the integration of advanced insulation or smart windows. However, significant challenges persist with current modeling and simulation tools, such as the requirement for specialized expertise, reliance on a wide array of complex software tools, lack of clarity for end-users, and issues related to software interoperability. This paper focuses on the integration of building information modeling with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and virtual reality to enhance visualization in engineering applications. The project involves the construction of geometry using Autodesk Revit, setting up CFD simulation using Ansys Fluent, and exporting the simulation results for visualization in Unity. Challenges addressed such as software integration and extracting data for complicated post processing methods for visualization are mentioned. The outcomes reveal that integration of CFD with VR can help end-users to understand complex concepts of indoor airflow.