CFD-Based Ventilation Validation Under ASHRAE 62.1-2025

Ventilation system performance is increasingly judged by measured indoor air quality and occupant outcomes rather than compliance with minimum outdoor air rates alone. As buildings become more energy efficient and airtight, engineers must balance decarbonization objectives with effective air distribution, contaminant removal, and occupant comfort. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has become an important engineering tool for validating whether ventilation systems perform as intended under real operating conditions.

This webinar examines how engineers can use CFD to validate ventilation performance under ANSI/ASHRAE 62.1-2025. Participants will explore practical approaches to model development, air distribution effectiveness, contaminant transport, thermal comfort assessment, and model validation against measured data. The session also considers how CFD can support performance-based ventilation design across commercial buildings, healthcare facilities, laboratories, and other complex environments while aligning with ASHRAE 55, ASHRAE 170, ASHRAE 241, and Canadian building requirements.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Ventilation compliance pathways under ANSI/ASHRAE 62.1-2025
• Ventilation Rate Procedure (VRP), IAQ Procedure (IAQP), and Natural Ventilation Procedure (NVP)
• Air distribution effectiveness and ventilation efficiency
• CFD modelling fundamentals for ventilation analysis
• Turbulence models, mesh generation, and boundary condition selection
• Steady-state and transient airflow simulations
• Airflow patterns, contaminant transport, and ventilation effectiveness
• Air change effectiveness, mean age of air, and contaminant removal effectiveness
• Thermal comfort assessment using PMV, PPD, and ADPI
• Model validation using tracer gas testing, anemometry, and particle image velocimetry (PIV)
• Grid independence studies, y-plus evaluation, and uncertainty assessment
• CFD applications for mixing, displacement, underfloor, and dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS)
• Integrating ASHRAE 55, ASHRAE 170, ASHRAE 241, and Canadian building requirements into ventilation design