Study of Indoor Thermal Performance Due to Varying Ceiling Heights in a Hot-Humid Climate

Abstract

This study explores the impact of changing ceiling height on the indoor thermal performance of a building for various combinations of room orientation and opening sizes. The methodology followed is building simulation and validation with field study data for some ceiling heights. This study uses the predictive model established in Chap. 7 . Thermal performance of rooms along 8 different orientations for 11 opening conditions and 10 different ceiling heights is assessed using the predictive model. The results are validated by examining the indoor thermal performance of real-scale rooms with varying ceiling heights. For the first time, the indoor thermal performance due to varying ceiling height, opening size, and orientation is examined in naturally ventilated rooms in a hot-humid climate. It is found that for every 30 cm rise in ceiling height, there is a change of up to 0.1 °C. The indoor temperature at the working level increases by 0.5 °C when the ceiling height is increased from 3.0 to 6.0 m. The percentage of indoor air temperature difference reduces exponentially as ceiling height increases. For any ceiling height, the indoor temperature is the same two times a day. Conditioned rooms with large ceiling heights consume more energy to be cool. This study can direct the vent of the air conditioner at various levels for optimized cooling. In this manner, this study is useful in the design of air conditioner vents and the location of goods in warehouses and silos for minimizing energy use.