Simulating Natural Ventilation in and Around Buildings by Fast Fluid Dynamics

Modelling conjugate flow and heat transfer in a ventilated room for indoor thermal comfort assessment

“…The fast growing computer technology and architecture such as multi-core CPU and GPU make CFD even more feasible to carry out vast number of parametric studies (for which it is almost impossible with physical tests and measurements due to extremely high computing time and cost requirements). With CFD, it is able to predict the performance of a new design concept, before it is going to physical prototyping and manufacturing stages [28][29]. For these reasons, numerical predictions have increasingly become an important element integrated in any engineering design and analysis for cost saving, durability and reduced time scale from product design to market.…”

Numerical optimisation of thermal comfort improvement for indoor environment with occupants and furniture

“…and thermal parameters at both the system and the component levels [32][33][34][35]. As the technology is growing rapidly, thanks to modern computer technology and architecture such as GPU, it is now possible to carry out vast number of parametric studies as precursor numerical exercises and thus to integrate numerical modelling work with practical engineering design and analysis process for cost saving, durability and reduced time-scale from product design to market, for which it is almost impossible with physical experiment tests and measurements, due to extremely long preparation and construction time, and high operation and labour costs.…”

A review on windcatcher for passive cooling and natural ventilation in buildings, Part 1: Indoor air quality and thermal comfort assessment

“…On the other hand, small scale is more economical in the long run and efficient as well as independent from outdoor environment which means the conditions (such as wind speed or direction) can be easily controlled [141]. However, the similarity between small scale and real scale model has been a challenging matter for researchers [142]. Another limitation of wind tunnel technique is evaluation of windcatcher thermal performance due to difficulty in the scaling down of cooling system in wind tunnel.…”

“…CFD can analyse and optimize complex 3D design with high resolution for temperature, velocity and air flow patterns around or inside the three-dimensional model that analytical models are not able to do [143] and [144]. The most important challenge of CFD modelling is reliability and validity of data [142]. Nowadays, it has been a common practice by CFD researchers to compare their predicted results against any physical measurement data be it at small scale or full scale experiment, prior to a comprehensive parametric study.…”