scholarly journals Thermal Comfort Analysis in Naturally-Ventilated Handball Arena Utilizing CFD Techniques

2019 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 01040
Author(s):  
Ahmed A. Masoud ◽  
Essam E. Khalil ◽  
Abdelmaged H. Ibrahim ◽  
Esmail M. ElBialy

This work investigates the feasibility and thermal comfort of using natural ventilation in order to achieve thermal comfort in a handball arena with realistic dimensions and a full occupation of 4300 persons in the Gulf area. The work numerically simulates the temperature and velocity fields inside the full arena using computational fluid dynamics techniques at different internal loads, prevailing wind speeds, prevailing wind temperatures and prevailing wind angles. The work generates certain air opening configuration to be used for natural ventilation and the results show that natural ventilation is feasible if the following conditions are met simultaneously: the occupation density is 25% or less, sitting in the prevailing wind side, the lighting load does not exceed 50% of its full capacity, the prevailing wind temperature does not exceed 30 °C and the prevailing wind velocity is in range 3-4 m/s, where the upper limit arises from the requirement to avoid high velocities in the playing area. These conditions can be met during the training time and during parts of the day and over parts of the year hours making this method conditionally feasible.

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 466-479
Author(s):  
S Subhashini ◽  
K Thirumaran

This paper attempts to investigate the potential of courtyards in optimizing natural ventilation and improving comfort levels in the learning spaces of a naturally ventilated educational institution with courtyards in the warm-humid climatic region of Madurai. Field measurements and experimental studies were carried out to predict the indoor and outdoor environmental conditions. The numerical study was carried out using computational fluid dynamics-based simulations using Ansys Fluent as the solver. The main aim of the simulation is to understand the airflow pattern and air velocity fields inside the classrooms surrounding the courtyards for different wind directions. The computational fluid dynamics results were validated by comparing it with the experimental results obtained in the current study and numerical results from other studies. The major findings of the current study suggest that courtyards with an aspect ratio of 1:2, orientations of openings at an angle of 0–20° to the predominant wind directions and the overall percentage of openings between 15 and 30% in buildings in Madurai region can enhance natural ventilation and thus improve thermal comfort of the occupants. Practical application: Naturally ventilated buildings in warm-humid climates have difficulty in providing thermal comfort to the occupants. CFD tools have been used to predict the ventilation performance of a naturally ventilated educational building with courtyards. The CFD results were helpful in identifying the implication of building design on the indoor air flow pattern. The recommendations given in this paper are applicable to any building type which relies on natural ventilation for thermal comfort provided they have similar building configurations, boundary conditions and weather conditions. The study is intended to help architects and building designers in the effective design of naturally ventilated buildings with respect to its climatic conditions.


1958 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 361-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. Townsend

Fluctuations of velocity and temperature which occur in a turbulent flow in a stably-stratified atmosphere far from restraining boundaries are discussed using the equations for the turbulent intensity and for the mean square temperature fluctuation. From these, an equation is derived for the flux Richardson number in terms of the ordinary Richardson number and some non-dimensional ratios connected with the turbulent motion. It is shown that the interaction between the temperature and velocity fields imposes on the flux Richardson number an upper limit of 0·5, and on the ordinary Richardson number a limit of about 0·08. If these values are exceeded, no equilibrium value of the turbulent intensity can exist and a collapse of the turbulent motion would occur. Although the analysis applies strictly only to a homogeneous non-developing flow, it should have approximate validity for effectively homogeneous, developing flows, and the predictions are compared with some recent observations of these flows.


Author(s):  
Elahe Mirabi ◽  
Nasrollahi Nazanin

<p>Designing urban facades is considered as a major factor influencing issues<br />such as natural ventilation of buildings and urban areas, radiations in the<br />urban canyon for designing low-energy buildings, cooling demand for<br />buildings in urban area, and thermal comfort in urban streets. However, so<br />far, most studies on urban topics have been focused on flat facades<br />without details of urban layouts. Hence, the effect of urban facades with<br />details such as the balcony and corbelling on thermal comfort conditions<br />and air flow behavior are discussed in this literature review. <strong>Aim</strong>: This<br />study was carried out to investigate the effective factors of urban facades,<br />including the effects of building configuration, geometry and urban<br />canyon’s orientation. <strong>Methodology and Results</strong>: According to the results,<br />the air flow behavior is affected by a wide range of factors such as wind<br />conditions, urban geometry and wind direction. Urban façade geometry<br />can change outdoor air flow pattern, thermal comfort and solar access.<br /><strong>Conclusion, significance and impact study</strong>: In particular, the geometry of<br />the facade, such as indentation and protrusion, has a significant effect on<br />the air flow and thermal behavior in urban facades and can enhance<br />outdoor comfort conditions. Also, Alternation in façade geometry can<br />affect pedestrians' comfort and buildings energy demands.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 849-868
Author(s):  
Jingxian Xu ◽  
Huijuan Liu ◽  
Yunyi Wang ◽  
Jun Li

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the heat transfer mechanism of the uniforms used by people working in hot, humid and windy environments. Furthermore, the effectiveness of an opening structure added to the armpit of the uniforms in improving thermal comfort was comparatively examined.Design/methodology/approachA set of uniforms was tested with the opening at the armpit alternatively zipped or unzipped. Thermal manikin and human tests were performed in a climatic chamber simulating the specific environmental conditions, including wind speeds at four levels (0.15, 0.5, 2, 4 m/s) and relative humidities at two levels (50 and 85%). Static and dynamic thermal insulations of clothing (IT) were examined by the thermal manikin tests. The human bodies' thermal responses, including heart rates (HR), eardrum temperatures (Te), skin temperatures (Tsk) and subjective perceptions, were given by the human tests.FindingsSpecial mechanisms of heat transfer in the specific uniforms used in tropical monsoon climates were revealed. Reductions on IT were caused by the movement of the human body and the environmental wind, and the empirical equations would underestimate this reduction. The opening at the armpit was able to prompt more heat transfer under dynamic condition, with reducing the IT by 11.8%, lowering the mean Tsk by 0.92°C, and significantly improving the subjective perceptions (p < 0.05). The heat exhaustion was alleviated with lowering the Te by 0.32°C.Originality/valueThis study managed to improve the thermal performance of uniforms for workers under unforgiving conditions. The evaluation and design methods introduced by this study provided practical guidance for similar products with strict dress codes and cost control requirements based on the findings from thorough product tests and analysis.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 3311
Author(s):  
Víctor Pérez-Andreu ◽  
Carolina Aparicio-Fernández ◽  
José-Luis Vivancos ◽  
Javier Cárcel-Carrasco

The number of buildings renovated following the introduction of European energy-efficiency policy represents a small number of buildings in Spain. So, the main Spanish building stock needs an urgent energy renovation. Using passive strategies is essential, and thermal characterization and predictive tests of the energy-efficiency improvements achieving acceptable levels of comfort for their users are urgently necessary. This study analyzes the energy performance and thermal comfort of the users in a typical Mediterranean dwelling house. A transient simulation has been used to acquire the scope of Spanish standards for its energy rehabilitation, taking into account standard comfort conditions. The work is based on thermal monitoring of the building and a numerical validated model developed in TRNSYS. Energy demands for different models have been calculated considering different passive constructive measures combined with real wind site conditions and the behavior of users related to natural ventilation. This methodology has given us the necessary information to decide the best solution in relation to energy demand and facility of implementation. The thermal comfort for different models is not directly related to energy demand and has allowed checking when and where the measures need to be done.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4563
Author(s):  
Nuno Baía Baía Saraiva ◽  
Luisa Dias Dias Pereira ◽  
Adélio Rodrigues Gaspar ◽  
José Joaquim da Costa

The adaptation of spaces to different usage typologies can be complex in heritage buildings. Facilities were initially planned for a specific type of use that, when changed, require additional measures to ensure a suitable indoor environment. Passive strategies—e.g., free cooling—are commonly used as an alternative without requiring equipment installation. However, its implementation often leads to unsatisfactory conditions. Therefore, it is important to clarify the main barriers to achieving thermal comfort in readapted historic buildings. The present work investigates the thermal comfort conditions reported by workers in office spaces of a historic building in the University of Coimbra. A monitoring campaign was carried out between May and September 2020 to assess indoor conditions’ quality. Due to the current pandemic of COVID-19, offices were not occupied at full capacity. A one-day evaluation of thermal comfort was made using a climate analyzer and six occupants were surveyed on 19 August 2020. The main results highlighted discomfort due to overheating of spaces. The causes were related to the combination of inadequate implementation of the free cooling actions and the building use. Furthermore, it was recommended the installation of HVAC systems in case of full capacity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Rutkowski ◽  
Alejandro Roldán-Alzate ◽  
Kevin M. Johnson

AbstractBlood flow metrics obtained with four-dimensional (4D) flow phase contrast (PC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be of great value in clinical and experimental cerebrovascular analysis. However, limitations in both quantitative and qualitative analyses can result from errors inherent to PC MRI. One method that excels in creating low-error, physics-based, velocity fields is computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Augmentation of cerebral 4D flow MRI data with CFD-informed neural networks may provide a method to produce highly accurate physiological flow fields. In this preliminary study, the potential utility of such a method was demonstrated by using high resolution patient-specific CFD data to train a convolutional neural network, and then using the trained network to enhance MRI-derived velocity fields in cerebral blood vessel data sets. Through testing on simulated images, phantom data, and cerebrovascular 4D flow data from 20 patients, the trained network successfully de-noised flow images, decreased velocity error, and enhanced near-vessel-wall velocity quantification and visualization. Such image enhancement can improve experimental and clinical qualitative and quantitative cerebrovascular PC MRI analysis.


Author(s):  
Sunita Kruger ◽  
Leon Pretorius

In this paper, the influence of various bench arrangements on the microclimate inside a two-span greenhouse is numerically investigated using three-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models. Longitudinal and peninsular arrangements are investigated for both leeward and windward opened roof ventilators. The velocity and temperature distributions at plant level (1m) were of particular interest. The research in this paper is an extension of two-dimensional work conducted previously [1]. Results indicate that bench layouts inside the greenhouse have a significant effect on the microclimate at plant level. It was found that vent opening direction (leeward or windward) influences the velocity and temperature distributions at plant level noticeably. Results also indicated that in general, the leeward facing greenhouses containing either type of bench arrangement exhibit a lower velocity distribution at plant level compared to windward facing greenhouses. The latter type of greenhouses has regions with relatively high velocities at plant level which could cause some concern. The scalar plots indicate that more stagnant areas of low velocity appear for the leeward facing greenhouses. The windward facing greenhouses also display more heterogeneity at plant level as far as temperature is concerned.


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