Abstract
Window ventilation usually used in energy-efficient buildings as an effective natural ventilation system to provide an adequate opening for fresh air to flow into the interior space. It could help to reduce the indoor air temperature and limit the contaminants in buildings. This study aimed to visualise the airflow structure across a wooden louvred window panel using the smoke flow visualisation technique at different airflow speeds of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 5.0 m/s in a closed-loop wind tunnel. Two Sony 1920 × 1080i cameras captured the airflow structure, which took the side view, rear view, front view and back view images. The wooden louvred window panel promotes optimum outdoor airflow and facilitates continuous air exchange to replace the indoor air. Results showed that smoke filled the space quickly at the highest airflow speed of 5 m/s. This study used an inclination angle of 75° for the wooden louvred window panel to avoid rain splatter. Besides, wood material could be used as a facade shading device. Therefore, installing the wooden louvred window panels could enhance natural ventilation, ensure indoor thermal comfort and reduce indoor air contaminants.
Highlights
Malaysia is a tropical country that experiences a hot and humid climate throughout the year
The figures show the airflow structure across the wooden louvred window panel based on the smoke generator technique at five different airflow speeds
The smoke streamlines from the smoke generator in the wind tunnel represented the outdoor airflow structure toward the indoor space
Summary
Malaysia is a tropical country that experiences a hot and humid climate throughout the year. It is near the equator, whereas approximately one-third of the world population experiences hot–dry or warm and humid climates (Jamaludin et al, 2015; Laurini et al, 2017). High humidity and temperature levels increase the risk of thermal discomfort and moisture problems in indoor settings (Hamimah et al, 2010). A study by Jamaludin et al (2015) found that the indoor air temperatures of a residential building in Malaysia at different microclimates exceed the acceptable limit of thermal comfort suggested in the Malaysian Standard (MS 1525:2007) (23 °C–26 °C), with the highest indoor temperature being 32.6 °C under the Kuala Lumpur climate. Indoor air quality needs to be maintained within acceptable limits as it can affect human health (Sun et al, 2015; de Robles & Kramer, 2017; Steinemann et al, 2017; Amoatey et al, 2018; Krawczyk & Wadolowska, 2018)
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