Heat transfer and air movement behaviour in a double-skin façade

J Darkwa,D.H.C Chow,Y Li

doi:10.1016/j.scs.2013.07.002

J Darkwa, D.H.C Chow + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2013.07.002

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Abstract

Theoretical and practical evaluation of a naturally ventilated double skin facade has been undertaken. The study has shown that the double skin facade (DSF) system is capable of supplying adequate ventilation to various levels with little or no additional heating during winter thus saving the bulk percentage of the heating load on the building. However there was an element of overheating in the DSF which may have contributed to an additional cooling load on the building. Even though the operational strategy of mixing return air with trapped air in the cavity helped to minimise the overheating effect, there was still some considerable level of temperature increase in the DSF. Effective thermal management control strategies and systems are therefore encouraged in the design and operation of DSFs.

Highlights

Within the framework of modern building design concepts, double skin façades (DSFs) have emerged as one of the potential energy saving design features being promoted around the world
In some DSF cases shading devices such as mid-pane blinds and internal blinds are being used in providing solar shading but they are believed to contribute to additional heat source linked with complex long wave radiation exchange, increased air temperature and buoyancy effect in the cavities [10]
In order to gain more understanding and to acquire reliable data for future design and simulation exercises, the current study evaluates the airflow and thermal performance behaviour of a DSF building located in a hot and cold region

Summary

Component of the gravitational vector in the ith direction h

Effective thermal conductivity ( W/m K) Pressure (Pa) Turbulent Prandtl number for energy Turbulent Prandtl numbers for and models Modulus of the mean rate-of-strain tensor. User-defined source terms Temperature (K) Reference Temperature (K) Time (s) Velocity (m/s) v. Component of the flow velocity perpendicular to the gravitational vector ui,uj,uk Velocity for different direction (m/s) x

Deviatoric stress tensor

Momentum conservation equation