CFD Analysis
CFD Analysis See how air, heat and contaminants actually move, before you build or change anything. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for data centers, cold storage, clean rooms and complex ventilation, led by a senior CFD specialist and integrated with our energy modeling and BIM team.
What Is CFD Analysis?
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a simulation technique that predicts how air and other fluids move, mix and transfer heat. We build a 3D model of the space or site, apply real conditions (heat loads, fans, diffusers, openings, occupancy, outdoor conditions) and solve the governing equations of fluid flow.
The result is a clear visual and quantitative picture of velocity, temperature, pressure, humidity and contaminant concentration throughout the space. CFD lets teams test layouts and compare options before construction, or diagnose problems in an existing facility without costly trial and error.
Every study ends with specific recommendations, not just colorful plots.
How Our CFD Team Works
Our CFD studies are led by a senior CFD specialist with more than 15 years of experience, including 20+ data center projects across the UK, Europe and the Middle East. We have worked together on CFD studies for cold rooms, pharmaceutical process environments and displacement ventilation.
The specialist leads the CFD methodology and analysis. Our in-house team handles project coordination, geometry from drawings or Revit models, boundary conditions from our load and energy models, and reporting.
This means your CFD study is built on the same building information as the rest of the design, and the results feed straight back into HVAC design and energy modeling.
Simulation tools: Cadence Reality DC Design (data center thermal modeling) · ENGYS HELYX (internal and external airflow)
Data Center CFD
Thermal problems are among the most common causes of data center downtime. CFD shows how cooling actually performs, under normal operation and when things fail.
Internal (data halls and critical spaces) Airflow and thermal analysis of data halls and critical support spaces (electrical, UPS and battery rooms), modeling CRAH units, hot- and cold-aisle containment, server cabinets, PDUs, cable trays and supply/return plenums. Used to:
- Identify hot spots and rack inlet temperature issues before equipment is installed
- Evaluate cooling redundancy and equipment-failure scenarios
- Optimize containment, tile placement and CRAH/CRAC layout
- Plan capacity growth without overcooling, and improve PUE
External (site and plant) Thermal plume and airflow studies for heat-rejection equipment (chillers, generators, AHUs and ancillary plant), including the building, surrounding structures, openings and site layout. Used to:
- Evaluate hot-air recirculation risk between plant items
- Test plant layout and screening options
- Confirm reliable operation under varying wind and weather conditions
Cold Storage, Freezers & Coolers
Temperature uniformity is critical in cold rooms, freezers and refrigerated warehouses. We model evaporator airflow, door openings, infiltration and stacking arrangements to:
- Find warm pockets and temperature variation in storage areas
- Optimize evaporator placement and air distribution
- Reduce product spoilage risk and energy use
- Improve loading, racking and door-area design
Clean Rooms & Process Environments
Controlled environments depend on predictable airflow. We evaluate unidirectional and non-unidirectional flow, pressure cascades, air change effectiveness and particle behavior to:
- Verify airflow patterns against cleanliness class requirements
- Find dead zones and turbulence around critical processes
- Optimize supply and return locations and HEPA coverage
- Reduce risk before validation and commissioning
Ventilation & Building Airflow
CFD helps verify ventilation strategies whose performance cannot be assumed from simple calculations:
- Displacement ventilation: temperature stratification, height of the clean-air zone, draft risk and diffuser placement.
- Car parks: CO and exhaust dispersion, jet fan layout, and smoke clearance for normal and fire scenarios.
- Warehouses & industrial spaces: air movement through racking, heat stratification, exhaust capture and make-up air.
- Contaminant dispersion: paths, concentrations and clearance times for dust, fumes, smoke and aerosols.
Warehouses & Industrial Spaces
Large-volume spaces can develop significant temperature stratification and complex airflow patterns.
We can evaluate:
- Air movement through racking
- Heat stratification
- Supply and exhaust arrangement
- Make-up air
- Equipment heat sources
- Exhaust capture
- Ventilation effectiveness
Car Park Ventilation
CFD can be used to evaluate:
- Vehicle exhaust dispersion
- CO concentration
- Air movement
- Jet-fan arrangement
- Dead zones
- Extract and supply locations
- Ventilation effectiveness
Where fire/smoke analysis is specifically required, the applicable analysis methodology, software and regulatory requirements should be defined as part of the project scope.
Contaminant & Particulate Dispersion
CFD can help understand how contaminants move through a space rather than simply calculating the total ventilation rate.
Depending on the application, we can model:
- Dust
- Fumes
- Pollutants
- Aerosols
- Exhaust gases
- Process contaminants
- Other defined airborne species
The analysis can identify:
- Source-to-receptor pathways
- Concentration zones
- Short-circuiting
- Dead zones
- Dispersion patterns
- Clearance or dilution behaviour
This can support ventilation design, exhaust placement and mitigation strategies.
External Wind & Pedestrian Comfort
New and tall buildings change wind patterns at street level. External CFD shows where wind will be uncomfortable or unsafe for people walking, sitting and gathering, and helps test massing, podium, canopy and landscaping options, assessed against recognized comfort criteria such as Lawson.
How a CFD Study Works
01 — Define the question:
What decision the study needs to support, and which scenarios matter (normal operation, failure, peak, seasonal).
02 — Gather inputs:
Drawings or Revit model, equipment data, heat loads, airflows and operating conditions. We help identify what’s needed.
03 — Build & check the model:
Geometry, boundary conditions and assumptions confirmed with you before solving.
04 — Simulate & compare:
Run the scenarios and design options.
05 — Recommend:
Visual results and clear, actionable recommendations, with re-runs as your design evolves.
Simple studies can take a few days; complex multi-scenario studies may take several weeks. We confirm the timeline when we agree the scope.
Why Ecomatrix for CFD
- Senior CFD expertise: studies led by a specialist with 15+ years and 20+ data center projects.
- Connected to the whole design: CFD built from the same geometry and loads as your energy model and BIM.
- Answers, not just images: every study ends with design actions you can implement.
- Existing or new: diagnose problems in operating facilities, or test options before construction.
Talk to us about your CFD project. Whether you are designing a new facility or fixing a problem in an existing one, we’ll help you understand what is happening and what to do about it.