Preliminary Study on Influence of Outdoor Trees on Natural Ventilation of Teaching Buildings

Abstract

The emphasis of this study lied in the impact of tree planting spacing around the teaching building on the indoor wind environment. CFD simulations of the indoor wind environment of teaching building affected by trees were performed utilizing the ANSYS Fluent software using the standard k-ε model with additional source terms. Deciduous broad-leaved trees and coniferous trees were selected as representative tree species for comparison. Five different tree planting spacings were arranged outside the teaching building, and the indoor airflow velocity distribution and pressure distribution were simulated. Then the effects of these different tree layout forms on the indoor ventilation efficiency of the building were compared and analyzed. The results showed that the sum of the total ventilation flow rate in the classrooms rose with the increase of the spacing between trees. However, due to the different location relationship between the tree canopy and the classrooms, the ventilation efficiency of each classroom showed differences. As for tree species, the blocking effect of tall deciduous broad-leaved trees on indoor ventilation was more obvious than that of coniferous trees. This study will have guiding significance for the layout design of vegetation around the building and creating a good indoor ventilation environment.