Numerical investigations of buoyancy-driven natural ventilation in a simple atrium building and its effect on the thermal comfort conditions

Abstract In the present study use of solar-assisted buoyancy-driven natural ventilation in a simple atrium building is explored numerically with particular emphasis on the thermal comfort conditions in the building. Initially various geometric configurations of the atrium space were considered in order to investigate airflows and temperature distributions in the building using a validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. The Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) modelling approach with the SST-k–ω turbulence model and the Discrete Transfer Radiation Model (DTRM) was used for the investigations. The steady-state governing equations were solved using a commercial CFD solver FLUENT©. From the numerical results obtained, it was noted that an atrium space integrated with a solar chimney would be a relatively better option to be used in an atrium building. In the geometry selected, the performance of the building in response to various changes in design parameters was investigated. The produced airflows and temperature distributions were then used to evaluate indoor thermal comfort conditions in terms of the thermal comfort indices, i.e. the well-known predicted mean vote (PMV) index, its modifications especially for natural ventilation, predicted percent dissatisfied (PPD) index and Percent dissatisfied (PD) factor due to draft. It was found that the thermal conditions in the occupied areas of the building developed as a result of the use of solar-assisted buoyancy-driven ventilation for the particular values of the design parameters selected are mostly in the comfortable zone. Finally, it is demonstrated that the proposed methodology leads to reliable thermal comfort predictions, while the effect of various design variables on the performance of the building is easily recognized.

[1]  Kevin J. Lomas,et al.  Architectural design of an advanced naturally ventilated building form , 2007 .

[2]  Kwang Ho Lee,et al.  Enhancement of natural ventilation in buildings using a thermal chimney , 2009 .

[3]  Guohui Gan.  Simulation of buoyancy-induced flow in open cavities for natural ventilation , 2006 .

[4]  Joseph C. Lam,et al.  Sensitivity analysis of energy performance of office buildings , 1996 .

[5]  Shafqat Hussain,et al.  Validation of numerical modeling of conditions in an atrium space with a hybrid ventilation system , 2012 .

[6]  Malcolm J. Cook,et al.  Buoyancy-driven displacement ventilation flows: Evaluation of two eddy viscosity turbulence models for prediction , 1998 .

[7]  Paul Cooper,et al.  Multiple sources of buoyancy in a naturally ventilated enclosure , 1996 .

[8]  Ramadan Bassiouny,et al.  An analytical and numerical study of solar chimney use for room natural ventilation , 2008 .

[9]  Zhiqiang John Zhai,et al.  Sensitivity analysis and application guides for integrated building energy and CFD simulation , 2006 .

[10]  Gary R. Hunt,et al.  Fundamental atrium design for natural ventilation , 2003 .

[11]  Refrigerating.  ASHRAE handbook of fundamentals , 1967 .

[12]  Panagiota Karava,et al.  Validation of computational fluid dynamics simulations for atria geometries , 2011 .

[13]  J. Tanny,et al.  Airflow and heat flux through the vertical opening of buoyancy-induced naturally ventilated enclosures , 2008 .

[14]  Malcolm J. Cook,et al.  Numerical studies of displacement natural ventilation in multi-storey buildings connected to an atrium , 2007 .

[15]  Adrian Pitts,et al.  Thermal Comfort and Environmental Modelling in Atrium Buildings , 2006 .

[16]  X. Yuan,et al.  Numerical modeling of heat transfer by radiation and convection in an atrium with thermal inertia , 1995 .

[17]  Dejan Mumovic,et al.  Analysis of thermal comfort and indoor air quality in a mechanically ventilated theatre , 2008 .

[18]  Tahir Ayata,et al.  Investigating the potential use of natural ventilation in new building designs in Turkey , 2006 .

[19]  Xianting Li,et al.  A simplified system for indoor airflow simulation , 2003 .

[20]  J. Palyvos.  A survey of wind convection coefficient correlations for building envelope energy systems’ modeling , 2008 .

[21]  E Ery Djunaedy,et al.  Thermal comfort study of an air-conditioned lecture theatre in the tropics , 2003 .

[22]  Jung-Hua Chou,et al.  Evaluation of buoyancy-driven ventilation in atrium buildings using computational fluid dynamics and reduced-scale air model , 2009 .

[23]  David E. Claridge,et al.  Atrium buildings: Thermal performance and climatic factors , 1995 .

[24]  P. Fanger,et al.  Extension of the PMV model to non-air-conditioned buildings in warm climates , 2002 .

[25]  V. I. Hanby,et al.  CFD modelling of natural displacement ventilation in an enclosure connected to an atrium , 2007 .

[26]  Shafqat Hussain,et al.  Evaluation of various turbulence models for the prediction of the airflow and temperature distributions in atria , 2012 .

[27]  Malcolm J. Cook,et al.  CFD Modelling of Natural Ventilation: Combined Wind and Buoyancy Forces , 2003 .