The Effects of Obstructions and Flow Recirculation on Laminar Diffuser Flow

Duncan Phillips, Ph.D., PE, RWDI
  
Laminar diffusers are used a great deal in various clean space applications. Their purpose is to direct a steady uniform flow of air over critical equipment. The equipment itself or other objects can disturb the flow and set up unwanted air distribution patterns—even the size of the diffuser and it's proximity to other diffusers can affect the pattern created. When problems occur, they are usually uncovered during validation tests, using smoke or other means. If they are not discovered, product failures may occur.

This presentation uses computational fluid dynamics to illustrate some of these effects and show methods for improving flow patterns.

Biography:

Duncan Phillips, Ph.D., PE, has a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo in Ontario. During his graduate work he investigated the measurement and quantification of room air and contaminant mixing within occupied spaces. This work involved both the development of instrumentation for, and measurements of, contaminant transport. Duncan is a registered Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario.

Duncan joined Rowan Williams Davies & Irwin Consulting Engineers in 2000. He is a Senior Specialist for CFD and Ventilation. He is an Associate of the firm. His role at RWDI as the Senior member of the CFD and ventilation team is to technically oversee the execution of client based projects. In addition he is responsible as coordinating the technical advancement of RWDI's ventilation and modeling services.

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