CFD evaluation of experimental measurements of oscillating mist fan cooling in a large indoor space

Abstract

An oscillating mist fan is a low-energy means to reduce heat stress of people in hot environments by combining evaporative and convective cooling. Mist sprays can wet sensors, yielding the wet bulb temperature rather than the true dry bulb air temperature, which is needed to model the physiological effect of cooling. This research is a study in how simulation can help reveal the true conditions in a case where sensors in experiment may not be reliable measures of reality. Simulation reveals that temperature drops may be about 1 °C greater than recorded values.