Abstract
Ventilated façades can help to reduce summer building thermal loads and, therefore, energy consumption due to air-conditioning systems thanks to the combined effect of the solar radiation reflection and the natural or forced ventilation into the cavity. The evaluation of ventilated façades behavior and performance is complex and requires a complete thermo-fluid dynamic analysis. In this study, a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) methodology has been developed for the complete assessment of the energy performance of a prefabricated timber–concrete composite ventilated façade module in different operating conditions. Global numerical results are presented as well as local ones in terms of heat flux, air velocity, and temperature inside the façade cavity. The results show the dependency of envelope efficiency on solar radiation, the benefits that natural convection brings on potential energy savings and the importance of designing an optimized façade geometry. The results concerning the façade behavior have been thoroughly compared with International Standards, showing the good accuracy of the model with respect to these well-known procedures. This comparison allowed also to highlight the International Standards procedures limits in evaluating the ventilated façade behavior with the necessary level of detail, with the risk of leading to design faults.
Highlights
Energy efficiency and sustainability in the building sector are necessary to achieve the2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals [1], since the construction industry is one of the major industries responsible for climate change and global waste production
The mean relative error (MRE) is introduced in order to calculate the statistical difference between the results given by computational fluid dynamic (CFD) and the international standard considered
The relative error (RE) of the CFD simulations with respect to the considered standard at each hour is shown in the graphs reported in the following
Summary
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals [1], since the construction industry is one of the major industries responsible for climate change and global waste production For this reason, the use of passive solutions—such as ventilated façades, lightweight construction, and sustainable materials—is gaining importance within the building design strategies. Simo-Tagne et al [6] developed a coupled one-dimensional heat and mass transfer model to simulate the hygrothermal flux through five tropical woods used as building walls in sub-Saharan African region, after integration of outdoor conditions They found that wood type, wall thickness, climatic seasons, air temperature and relative humidity influence the coupled heat and mass transfer through the wall, while material cutting direction had no influence. They underlined the importance of protecting the wood to prevent the wall deterioration because of moisture content
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