The structure of cross-ventilation flow in an isolated cylindrical building: Numerical study

Abstract

Cross-ventilation serves as an efficient means to expel pollutants and heat from buildings, requiring no energy consumption due to variations in wind pressure. The structure of the cross-ventilation flow significantly influences ventilation effectiveness. However, limited attention has been given to understanding the impact of a building's cross-section on the structure of cross-ventilation flow. This study aims to fill this gap by numerically investigating the cross-ventilation flow structure in an isolated cylindrical building. The numerical simulation results are validated against reported experimental data, indicating a negligible simulation error of 0.8 % in the volume ventilation rate. This attests to the accuracy of the numerical method in predicting cross-ventilation flow in isolated buildings. As airflow traverses the cylindrical building along the curved side walls, pressure loss diminishes, facilitating increased air inflow. This results in a more horizontal entry of the incoming jet compared to that in a square building. Analysis of Root-Mean-Square streamwise-velocity and turbulence kinetic energy reveals greater airflow fluctuation outdoors for the square building and increased turbulence indoors for the cylindrical building. Notably, the volume ventilation rate of the cylindrical building demonstrates an 8.3 % improvement. Furthermore, the air exchange rate in the cylindrical building surpasses that of the square building by 1.38 times.