The effect of geometry and location of balconies on single-sided natural ventilation in high-rise buildings

Abstract

The demand for housing and the expansion of urbanization have increased the price of land and vertical growth of buildings, resulting in converting the courtyard and porch to balconies. Nowadays, semi-open spaces, which play a critical role in providing optimal indoor air and thermal conditions, are neglected. In addition, the area of such spaces is regarded as limited and sometimes even the balcony is eliminated, leading to improper thermal behavior and increased energy consumption, while such elements can be used for better natural ventilation of spaces and utilization of natural energy, resulting in reducing energy consumption in addition to controlling the pressure created by the wind in the case of correct design. The purpose of the current paper is to evaluate the performance of balconies on the high-rise buildings using single-sided ventilation in the harsh hot-arid climate of Hamdan in Iran, which there has not been studied already A general basic model is presented according to field studies and criteria. Field survey indicates that most of the high-rise buildings in Hamedan have single-sided natural ventilation, as well as are located on the south side, have a rectangular shape, are enclosed on three sides, and have recessed balconies. Based on the climate data of Hamedan, July is considered the hottest month of the year, during which natural ventilation should be applied. Simulation is conducted by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method and ANSYS software. Based on the results, 4.5 m width and 1.5 m depth are regarded as the best geometry of the balcony for Hamedan providing a mass flow rate up to 1.38 kg/s. In addition, the position of the balcony in the wall of the building should not be symmetrical. The usage of a balcony in the middle of the façade could provide higher ventilation rate and reduce cooling energy up to 7% compared with the base case. Through a meticulous balcony design, wind could path through the larger spaces then it is led towards the opposite window, and finally exits the building in a single-sided ventilation mode. This causes the air to flow in most of the interior spaces, leading to better ventilation than other methods.