Computational fluid dynamics modeling of a natural ventilated building

Abstract

Temperature and wind are important parameters influencing perceived indoor air quality and human comfort. The rapid expansion of the Djibouti city is negatively affecting the environment, safety and the comfort of its inhabitants. The large majority of the population living in Djibouti uses air-conditioning for cooling their house and work environment. The application of an alternative development strategy that includes sustainable and bioclimatic concepts such as natural ventilation can prevent the abusive use of mechanical techniques, providing indoor climatic comfort. Based on energy consumption, climate conditions in Djibouti and numerical analysis using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), it is apparent that the natural ventilation creates a thermally comfortable indoor environment in buildings. The parameters considered in the study were the air velocity, the temperature and the mean age of air in the building. The study shows a design approach for selecting building architectural alternatives to improve natural ventilation behavior using CFD. The results indicate a good potential of natural refreshment with an air changed time less than 10 minutes inside the building. These results help and guide a country which has hot and humid climate to optimize technical and architectural solutions maximizing natural ventilation potential.