Salford Energy House required a detailed assessment of "CFD and experimental analysis of decarbonising heat in homes" in 2024. The work brought together computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and the project information supplied for this energy application. The central objective was to connect local flow, thermal, transport or process behaviour with system-level performance, risk and design decisions that the client could implement.

We supported the transition to low carbon domestic heating by quantifying the thermal behaviour of a representative dwelling and the effects of fabric measures and emitter and control strategies. Computational fluid dynamics and targeted experiments were combined to characterise infiltration pathways, internal convective plumes and room to room coupling under realistic occupancy and operating schedules. Scenarios included heat pump compatible flow temperatures, radiator sizing and placement, underfloor heating alternatives and insulation upgrades. Metrics included room temperature uniformity, warm up and recovery times, surface temperatures for comfort and condensation risk and energy use proxies. Verification and sensitivity checks on mesh resolution, turbulence near walls and infiltration assumptions provided robust relative comparisons. The results distilled practical measures to cut heat demand and to enable efficient low temperature operation, with clear next step guidance for demonstration and monitoring at the Salford Energy House facility.

The methodology centred on a combined CFD and experimental assessment of heat transfer, infiltration and room-to-room thermal behaviour in a representative dwelling. The representation retained the building fabric, leakage paths, radiators or underfloor emitters, occupied rooms and surfaces relevant to comfort and condensation. Boundary and operating conditions covered heat-pump-compatible flow temperatures, emitter size and placement, insulation measures, controls, occupancy schedules and relevant external conditions, with material, fluid and equipment properties assigned from the available design information. Resolution was concentrated in regions where steep velocity, thermal, concentration or phase gradients were expected, while the overall model remained efficient enough to compare several credible configurations. This balance allowed system-level performance to be linked to the local mechanisms responsible for it.

The assessment compared fabric, emitter and control strategies for low-carbon domestic heating. Performance was judged using room temperature and uniformity, warm-up and recovery, infiltration, surface temperature, comfort, condensation risk and energy-use proxies. Results were reviewed through quantitative summaries and engineering visualisations, such as contours, vectors, streamlines, sections and time histories, selected to suit the physics. Important assumptions and operating uncertainties were considered so that the recommendations relied on repeatable comparative trends rather than a single nominal case.

For Salford Energy House, the principal value was practical measures that reduced heat demand and enabled more efficient low-temperature heating. The final evidence linked each recommendation to the relevant model or process output, making it suitable for internal design reviews, supplier or contractor discussions and, where applicable, planning, safety or regulatory dialogue. The work also created a reusable baseline that can be updated as geometry, operating data or test results become available, reducing the cost and risk of later design iterations.

A disciplined quality-control workflow supported the analysis. Geometry, units, mass and energy balances, boundary-condition consistency and solver convergence were checked before options were ranked. Mesh or parameter sensitivities were used where they were most likely to affect the engineering conclusion, and limitations were documented explicitly. This ensured that the study remained traceable and reproducible rather than relying on isolated simulation images.