Measurements of wind speed and convective coefficient on the external surface of a low-rise building

Abstract

Heat transfer between the surface of a building and its surroundings constitutes a substantial proportion of its annual heating energy demand and is made up of radiative and convective components. As the convective component of heat transfer varies with wind speed, a series of experimental measurements were made on a building to estimate the value of the convective heat transfer under a range of wind conditions. A low-rise building was used for the measurements, and strong correlations were obtained between the wind speed and the convective heat transfer coefficient. These results were analysed on a directional basis and with respect to the location of the wind speed measurements, and a series of correlations are presented which compare well with existing data. In conjunction with accurate wind speed data, they can be used to make more realistic estimates of heat transfer from a building.