Hello!
I’m a masters student in Architecture. I’m currently working on a thesis on Optimizing Form for Dew Collection. I’ve previously had experience with Ladybug, but am looking for guidance on Butterfly and Open Foam.
In a research paper (linked below), the author ran a simulation for heat exchange and air flow over various architectural forms. With the resulting simulation, the author interpretted which form would perform better at capturing dew water.
In the paper, they are using COMSOL as the main CFD software. I was wondering if I could replicate this using Butterfly/Ladybug, allowing me to visualize the heat exchange of the condenser over the period of time. I’ve attached an image below, showing an example simulation from the research paper.
I am afraid I can’t realy help you. I know these cfd simulations are quite complex. With openfoam you can do a lot. Have a look at the YouTube channel of Jozsef Nagy.
With butterfly you can generate CFD simulations. But you could also have a look at simscale. This also uses Open Foam in the background.
For my thesis, I focused on the efficiency of different surface materials and shapes in maximizing dew collection. I found that hydrophobic surfaces with a textured finish tend to perform better because they enhance water droplet formation and runoff. Additionally, the angle and orientation of the collection surface can significantly impact the amount of dew collected. so that Thesis help on this topic would be incredibly valuable as I refine my research.
