Wind-induced ventilation rate of single-sided ventilation in a building with internal partition

Abstract

Wind-induced single-sided ventilation is a prevalent form of natural ventilation extensively used in buildings. Nevertheless, prior experimental investigations predominantly focused on single-zone buildings, neglecting the multizone buildings with internal partitions which is representative of more common scenarios. This study addresses this gap by investigating the impact of internal partitions on single-sided ventilation, employing a combination of wind tunnel experiment and numerical analysis. Airflow rate (AFR) was measured with a split-fibre probe and purging flow rate (PFR) was assessed by the tracer gas methodology. The PFR exhibits greater sensitivity to internal partitions in unidirectional airflow compared to bidirectional flow. Large Eddy Simulation (LES) was conducted to elucidate the intricate airflow characteristics in single-sided ventilation. The ventilation efficiency (ratio of PFR and AFR) derived from LES ranges between 0.74 and 0.79, which means that <80% of the AFR actively contributes to the removal of contaminants. Notably, the investigation discerned that the AFR of a single room approximates that of the entire room, whereas the PFR of a single room is smaller than that of the whole room. The disparities in AFR and PFR were caused by the recirculating flow, which was elaborated by the theoretical analysis.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Airflow rate (AFR) and Purging flow rate (PFR) were measured in the wind tunnel experiment.

• The wind pressure difference of a sealed model was measured to indicate the airflow direction.

• LES was performed to elucidate the airflow characteristics in a room with internal partitions.

• The difference between the PFR of a single room and a whole room was explained theoretically.

Keywords:

• Natural ventilation
• wind tunnel experiment
• Large Eddy Simulation
• single-sided ventilation
• ventilation rate

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

Part of this work was supported by a JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research in Japan (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(B), Grant Number: JP20H02311, Principal Investigator: Tomohiro Kobayashi) and JST SPRING (Grant Number JPMJSP2138).

Notes on contributors

Zitao Jiang

Zitao Jiang, PhD student supervised by Tomohiro Kobayashi at Osaka University, with interests in natural ventilation, city ventilation and wind engineering.

Tomohiro Kobayashi

Tomohiro Kobayashi, PhD, Professor at Osaka University. His research interests include natural ventilation, mechanical ventilation and ventilation theory.

Toshio Yamanaka

Toshio Yamanaka, PhD, Professor at Osaka University.

Mats Sandberg

Mats Sandberg, PhD, Senior professor at the University of Gävle. He’s interested in indoor and urban environments with a focus on climate and ventilation.

Narae Choi

Narae Choi, PhD, Assistant Professor at Toyo University.

Noriaki Kobayashi

Noriaki Kobayashi, technical staff at Osaka University.

Kayuki Sano

Kayuki Sano, master course student at Osaka University.

Kota Toyosawa

Kota Toyosawa, master course student at Osaka University.