Experimental and Numerical Study on Natural Ventilation in Residential Buildings through Courtyards
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33064/artificio920268267Keywords:
Natural ventilation, residential courtyard, physical experiments, aerodynamic tunnel, computational fluid dynamicsAbstract
Lighting and ventilation are the two main purposes of courtyards in buildings. The construction regulations of Mexico City establish the dimensions in terraces and must be built to fulfill their functions. This study examines whether the courtyard dimensions enable the development of optimal natural ventilation conditions, which countribute to a house’s indoor air quality. The first part of this study explains the visualization of the flow and the measurements of thermodynamic variables using a scaled physical model at 1:30 inside an aerodynamic tunnel. The recordings in the visualization demonstrate how the smoke enters the residence and leaves into the courtyard. Measurements were taken at various locations inside and around the scaled model. The constitutive equations were solve with the Reynolds stress turbulence model using the OpenFOAM software. The results of the experiment and the numerical simulations demonstrate that the standard courtyard’s size allow to develop appropiate ventilation conditions. The house’s accesories have a considerable influence by develop longer air trajectories, which reduces the quantity of air and the house’s indoor air quality.
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