Simulation and experimental study on an asymmetrical diffusion plate used to improve indoor thermal comfort

Uneven blowing at the outlet of wall-mounted air conditioners is the key reason for the unreasonable air distribution and poor human draft sensation. To improve the situation, an asymmetrical diffusion panel is designed in this paper, and compared with the prototype scheme with a cyclone diffusion panel based on simulation and experimental verification. A full-scale 3D model is constructed to simulate the air distribution and thermal comfort in an air conditioner laboratory, with internal circulation boundary conditions adopted. The conclusion is as follows: The new scheme disperses the air well at an angle of 45° with the ground, with a maximum diffusion angle of up to 80° and a diffusion distance of 2.5 m. This effectively avoids direct cold air blowing and improves the user’s blowing comfort. And it is found that in the new scheme, the temperature maximum range of the y plane at 20 min and 60 min has decreased by 0.59 and 1.71 °C, respectively, compared to the prototype scheme. At the same time, the new scheme effectively improved the phenomenon of cold air accumulating on the feet. Therefore, the asymmetric diffusion plate can provide a more uniform temperature distribution and a more comfortable indoor environment.