Amayu Wakoya Gena

1) Why are you researching at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar?

I am conducting my research at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar because it offers an ideal environment for advancing the science of indoor climate and enhancing the comfort of building occupants. The university’s interdisciplinary and innovative spirit is embodied in the work of the Chair of Building Physics, where I collaborate with the Indoor Climate Research Group. Our aim is to create an indoor climate that maintains and promotes the health and thermal comfort of the building's users. In our research group, we emphasize empirical studies and numerical simulations to investigate two key areas: first, how indoor climate affects the human body and its microclimate, and second, the reciprocal influence of human activities on indoor climate conditions.

2) What is special about your project? Why is it relevant?

Maintaining healthy indoor environments is crucial for occupant well-being and productivity, necessitating optimal indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort. My research addresses this need by applying the schlieren imaging technique to accurately assess and visualize indoor airflow, a key factor influencing both IAQ and thermal comfort. Schlieren imaging is an optical technique used to visualize changes in the refractive index of transparent media, providing high-resolution visualizations of airflow without the need for seeding particles. Traditionally used in fluid dynamics, this method offers a novel approach to indoor climate studies.

This research investigates the applicability of the schlieren imaging technique for both qualitative and quantitative assessments of indoor airflow. At the Chair of Building Physics at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, I design and continuously optimize a schlieren imaging setup and develop robust methodologies for evaluating indoor airflow. These include Optical Flow Schlieren Image Velocimetry (OFSIV) for estimating airflow velocities from schlieren image sequences and Computational Schlieren Imaging (CSI) for advanced airflow analysis. The methodologies are validated through comparisons with conventional sensor data and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, demonstrating the effectiveness of schlieren imaging in indoor airflow analysis and providing new insights into thermal comfort and IAQ.

Ultimately, my research provides a blueprint for assessing indoor airflow with the schlieren imaging technique, encouraging its adoption in indoor climate studies. This work enhances the accuracy of airflow visualization and contributes to improving the health and productivity of building occupants.