Wind tunnel experiments on cross-ventilation flow of a generic sheltered building in urban areas

Abstract

Results of an extensive wind tunnel experimental measurements for cross-ventilation in a sheltered building are presented against different wind angles. Buildings were placed in a regular arrangement with a constant planar area ratio of 0.25. Instantaneous velocity components were measured inside and around the cross-ventilated building using a split fiber probe (SFP) and constant temperature anemometry (CTA) module. Moreover, the surface wind pressure coefficients over the building surfaces and the crossing airflow rate through the building openings were measured utilizing pressure tap and tracer gas systems, respectively. Results of the experimental measurements provide a very useful database for validation of numerical models based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD). It was shown that the channeling effect caused by surrounding buildings has significant effects on the airflow distribution inside and around a building. The very complex behavior of cross-ventilation flow and its interaction with the outdoor airfield was observed while highly-transient nature of cross-ventilation was conformed against different wind angles.