A cruise-ship engine room contains large engines and auxiliary equipment that release substantial quantities of heat. The ventilation system must supply enough air for both combustion and cooling while preventing excessive local temperatures around machinery and working areas.
FlowMotion used CFD to analyse the complete three-dimensional airflow and temperature distribution in the engine room. The model included the major equipment, heat sources and the relevant supply and extract openings.
The calculations showed how ventilation air was distributed through the space and where hot-air recirculation or poorly ventilated regions could occur. Because temperature differences produce density differences, buoyancy and natural convection were important parts of the resulting flow field.
Different ventilation configurations could be evaluated by comparing local air velocities and temperatures rather than relying only on the total ventilation volume flow. This allowed the available ventilation capacity to be directed more effectively to the regions where it was needed.
