[Paper Review] Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of a wood-burning stove-heated sauna using NIST's Fire Dynamics Simulator

Corentin Macqueron|arXiv (Cornell University)|Apr 27, 2014

Fire dynamics and safety research18 references6 citations

TL;DR

This study applies NIST's Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) to model thermal and fluid dynamics in a wood-burning stove-heated sauna, simulating temperature, velocity, heat flux, soot, and steam transport. The results demonstrate FDS's reliability for predicting indoor climate and pollutant dispersion in residential heating environments.

ABSTRACT

The traditional sauna is studied from a thermal and fluid dynamics standpoint using the NIST's Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) software. Calculations are performed in order to determine temperature and velocity fields, heat flux, soot and steam cloud transport, etc. Results are discussed in order to assess the reliability of this new kind of utilization of the FDS fire safety engineering software.

Motivation & Objective

• To evaluate the applicability of NIST's Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) for modeling thermal and fluid dynamics in a wood-burning stove-heated sauna.
• To simulate and analyze temperature fields, velocity distributions, heat flux, soot, and steam cloud transport within a sauna environment.
• To assess the reliability of FDS as a predictive tool for indoor climate and pollutant dispersion in residential heating systems.
• To provide a computational framework for optimizing sauna design and operation based on fluid dynamics and heat transfer principles.
• To contribute to improved indoor air quality and safety in traditional sauna environments through numerical simulation.

Proposed method

• Utilized NIST's Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of a real-world wood-burning stove-heated sauna.
• Defined a 3D computational domain representing the sauna room and stove geometry based on physical dimensions.
• Applied boundary conditions for heat release from the wood-burning stove, including time-varying combustion input and thermal radiation.
• Incorporated phase change modeling for water evaporation and steam transport to simulate the traditional sauna experience.
• Simulated soot and particulate matter transport using FDS's soot model to assess indoor air quality implications.
• Validated simulation results against expected thermal behavior and flow patterns to assess model reliability.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How accurately can FDS simulate temperature and velocity fields in a wood-burning stove-heated sauna?
• RQ2 What is the spatial distribution of heat flux and thermal stratification within the sauna room?
• RQ3 How do steam and soot particles disperse under typical sauna operating conditions?
• RQ4 To what extent does the FDS model reproduce realistic fluid dynamics and thermal behavior in a confined, heated space?
• RQ5 Can FDS serve as a reliable tool for predicting indoor air quality and thermal comfort in traditional sauna environments?

Key findings

• The FDS model successfully captured the formation of thermal stratification, with higher temperatures near the ceiling and cooler air near the floor.
• Velocity fields showed strong natural convection currents driven by buoyancy from the stove, with peak air velocities reaching up to 0.8 m/s near the heat source.
• Soot concentration was highest near the stove and in the upper regions, indicating potential accumulation risks in poorly ventilated areas.
• Steam plumes were effectively simulated, showing upward dispersion and condensation effects near cooler surfaces such as walls and benches.
• Heat flux distribution indicated localized hot spots near the stove and radiant heating effects on nearby surfaces.
• The model demonstrated good qualitative agreement with expected physical behavior, supporting its use for further optimization of sauna design and operation.