Sistema de ventilação para melhoria do conforto térmico em área de pintura de uma indústria do Sudoeste do Paraná

Abstract

Industrial environments that contain intense heat sources, such as furnaces, often present inadequate thermal conditions, compromising both worker comfort and productivity. The objective of this study is to analyze the thermal behavior of an industrial environment and propose solutions to improve thermal comfort. Three distinct scenarios were evaluated: one without mechanical ventilation, one with a fan and four exhaust units, and another with a fan and seven exhaust units. Numerical simulations were carried out using the STAR-CCM+ software, based on in loco measurements of air temperature, globe temperature, and relative humidity, in addition to thermal load calculations. The results showed that mechanical ventilation has a direct effect on improving the thermal conditions of the environment, with the configuration using one fan and seven exhaust units standing out by achieving reductions of up to 12 °C in maximum temperatures compared to the scenario without ventilation. Improvements in airflow velocity patterns were also observed, especially in the working area. Based on the findings, it is concluded that the ventilation configuration with seven exhaust units and one fan provided the most satisfactory results and, if implemented, may significantly enhance thermal comfort for the occupants.