The relationship between the internal condition and the ventilation environment in a modular building

Abstract

This study explores the interaction between the indoor ventilation environment of a modular building and internal building elements, including relative position of modules, number and location of windows and standardized bathroom modules. The computer hydrodynamics technology was used for this research. The model was divided into three parts to simulate the ventilation environment: (i) the relative position of the module, (ii) the number and position of windows, and (iii) the position of the standardized bathroom module. The results of the simulation illustrate the need to balance the balcony space for indoor ventilation, which should be considered comprehensively during the actual design. From the perspective of the whole living unit, the ventilation condition is more advantageous when the four openings are along the external wind direction. In addition, it can improve efficiently the overall ventilation quality in the low wind speed zone by taking full advantage of the bathroom location in modular interior. In the process of a modular unit design, the relationship between standardized modules, window location, number and indoor comfort should be fully considered. With the simulation results, a relatively optimized standard of modular interior organization was established. In future, these variables can be adjusted according to actual needs.