Influence of furnishing on indoor airflow near external walls

Simulations of indoor environments in buildings are usually performed assuming uniform distribution of temperature and humidity of the indoor air, such as it would be in an idealised unfurnished room. The flow patterns near external walls may however be very different from the undisturbed airflow distributions, as the walls behind furniture may be colder than the other surroundings of the room, and the furniture to some extent obstructs the airflow.

This paper describes an investigation of a room with a piece of furniture placed near an external wall. This was investigated using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements. It was found how the pattern of airflow behind furniture placed near cold walls was influenced by the thickness of air gaps behind and below the furniture.

But it was also found that even if the furniture was placed directly on the floor, there would be a considerable flow of air behind the furniture.