scholarly journals A Comparative Study of Traditional and Contemporary Building Envelope Construction Techniques in terms of Thermal Comfort and Energy Efficiency in Hot and Humid Climates

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (13) ◽  
pp. 3582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lotfabadi ◽  
Hançer
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Vernacular Architecture ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Thermal Calculation ◽  
Insulation Material ◽  
Energy Usage ◽  
Construction Techniques ◽  
Hot And Humid Climates

Expectations of traditional and contemporary buildings are different in terms of thermal comfort. Traditional buildings mostly achieve comfort through passive means, without HVAC support, but old levels of thermal satisfaction do not meet today’s expectations, although their passive thermal performances are notable for contemporary building designs. In this regard, the current study tries to investigate the possibility of comparing traditional and contemporary buildings’ construction techniques to achieve thermal comfort from an architectural point of view. In other words, is it possible to achieve passive building design by considering vernacular architecture principals as a reference? Likewise, how well can architects define insulation layers in contemporary construction surfaces in hot and humid climates? To this end, a dynamic, numerical, thermal calculation case study has been modeled in Famagusta, Northern Cyprus, to answer the above-mentioned questions. A mixed-use mode benefitting free-run periods is proposed and compared with a mode providing 24 hours of air-conditioning in different scenarios using the same initial settings. Thus, different floor-to-ceiling heights, insulation placements and indoor conditions have been tested separately in both winter and summer periods. The results show that thermal comfort can be achieved in free-run periods only during a limited percentage of the year. Furthermore, although increasing building heights may lead to a rise in the free-run periods, in contemporary buildings it increases the total energy usage of the buildings between 6% and 9% in the mixed mode. Therefore, vernacular architecture strategies are proper in their own context. However, this energy usage can still be controlled and optimized by such considerations as insulation material placement. In this regard, the best envelope properties for different building functions are proposed for application in hot and humid climates.

scholarly journals Genetic Algorithm Applied to Multi-Criteria Selection of Thermal Insulation on Industrial Shed Roof

Buildings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stamoulis ◽  
Santos ◽  
Lenz ◽  
Tusset
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Algorithm ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Optimization Technique ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Expanded Polystyrene ◽  
Insulation Material ◽  
Clothing Insulation ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Selection Of

The rational use of energy has motivated research on improving the energy efficiency of buildings, which are responsible for a large share of world consumption. A strategy to achieve this goal is the application of optimized thermal insulation on a building envelope to avoid thermal exchanges with the external environment, reducing the use of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. In order to contribute to the best choice of insulation applied to an industrial shed roof, this study aims to provide an optimization tool to assist this process. Beyond the thermal comfort and cost of the insulation, some hygrothermic properties also have been analysed to obtain the best insulation option. To implement this optimization technique, several thermo-energetic simulations of an industrial shed were performed using the Domus software, applying 4 types of insulation material (polyurethane, expanded polystyrene, rockwool and glass wool) on the roof. Ten thicknesses ranging from 0.5 cm to 5 cm were considered, with the purpose of obtaining different thermal comfort indexes (PPD, predicted percentage dissatisfied). Posteriorly, the best insulation ranking has been obtained from the weights assigned to the parameters in the objective function, using the technique of the genetic algorithm (GA) applied to multi-criteria selection. The optimization results showed that polyurethane (PU) insulation, applied with a thickness of 1 cm was the best option for the roof, considering the building functional parameters, occupant metabolic activity, clothing insulation and climate conditions. On the other hand, when the Brazilian standard was utilized, rock wool (2 cm) was considered the best choice.

scholarly journals Energy Efficiency of a Vernacular Building Design and Materials in Hot Arid Climate: Experimental and Numerical Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 481-494
Author(s):  
Karima El Azhary ◽  
Mohamed Ouakarrouch ◽  
Najma Laaroussi ◽  
Mohammed Garoum
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Experimental Testing ◽  
Vernacular Architecture ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Numerical Approach ◽  
Coating Materials

Morocco faces tremendous climate constraints; the climate is hot and dry in most parts of the country, and when selecting an energy-saving approach, the architectural landscape becomes essential.Designer and building professionals seem to have neglected this large-scale integration. Sustainable development programs in terms of sustainable architecture are ongoing in countries around the world. One part of this trend is the growing concern shown in the high environmental efficiency of vernacular architecture. It is within this prescriptive framework that this research study is being conducted, which reveals novel architectural style integrating thermal comfort, energy efficient characteristics, passive solar elements architecture, and construction techniques inspired from the vernacular Ksourian architectural configurations. The goal of the present research study is to identify features of energy efficient vernacular architecture and thermal performances that affect indoor thermal comfort conditions for adaptation to current lifestyles in modern architecture. The key characteristics developed are; built mass structure, building orientation, space planning, availability of s, building techniques, and new coating materials for manufacturing and roofing. The suggested methodology enables to analyze the thermal performance analysis, applying an experimental research using experimental testing measurement and comparative optimization processes for thermal efficiency and comfort evaluation of a traditional vernacular earthen house.Series of experimental thermophysical characterization measurements have been carried out in order to quantify on a real scale the thermophysical properties that characterize the Rissani earth. Thusthermophysical characterization results are operated as input data for the thermal dynamic simulation for the purpose to evaluate thermal performances and comfort under the weather conditions and control natural comfort in both summer and winter, without using heating or cooling systems. Ultimately, the simulations carried out make it possible to identify the optimal orientation, revealing an effective decrease in interior temperatures during summer and providing good thermal comfort in winter.

scholarly journals Impact of Orientation on the Thermal Performances in Vernacular Buildings in Hot Arid Climate

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 4840-4847
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Vernacular Architecture ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Occupant Comfort ◽  
Vernacular Buildings ◽  
Scale Integration ◽  
The Impact

Morocco faces enormous climatic constraints. A large part of the national territory has a hot and dry climate, hence the importance of the climate aspect in the choice of an energy saving strategy. The use of reinterpreted, decontextualized, totally or partially vernacular architectural techniques and/or forms is visible at different levels in the Maghreb countries. The large-scale integration of this aspect seems to be ignored by the designers. The objective of this research is to evaluate the impact of the building orientation and vernacular architecture towards the occupant comfort, in order to meet its energy and comfort needs at a lower cost on one hand, and on the other hand, to design more efficient collective buildings from a thermal and energy point of view. The proposed methodology allows examining the thermal performances of a traditional building under the climatic conditions of the city of Rissani in order to naturally control comfort summer and winter, in addition to ensure a good thermal comfort without using any heating or cooling system. Finally, the simulations carried out lead to the identification of the optimal orientation that demonstrates an effective reduction in indoor temperatures and a decrease in the large daily fluctuations in these temperatures. The research focuses on the influence of the orientation of a building's facades in relation to the solar radiation and on providing the necessary thermal comfort.

scholarly journals Traditional Javanese Residential Architecture Designs and Thermal Comfort. A Study Using a Computational Fluid Dynamics Program to Explore, Analyse, and Learn from the Traditional Designs for Thermal Comfort

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Prasasto Satwiko
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computer Simulation ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
High Porosity ◽  
Cfd Modelling ◽  
Humid Climate ◽  
Building Science

<p>This thesis grows out of a desire to understand, in building science terms, the environmental features of traditional building design practices on Yogyakarta Special Region (Indonesia). The construction of traditional dwellings conforms to a set of rules, determining both the form and process of construction. The thesis describes tests of a number of factors related to traditional Javanese buildings for their effect on thermal comfort and air flow, isolating those design aspects and analysing them through contemporary techniques. Having proposed a scientific rationale behind traditional customs, two building styles, Joglo and Limasan are analysed. These styles are shown to relate to traditional numerological systems (petungan; i.e. sri and kitri), which have governed the specific details of domestic construction, and to the scale and siting of structures within the designated traditional guidelines. For comparison, simple hip-roofed dwelling (not applying Javanese style, petungan, and materials), representing current practices, were modelled. A commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics program was used as the principal research tool, testing thermal comfort through computer simulation. The main conclusion reached by this thesis is that traditionally designed Javanese architecture is thermally comfortable in a hot humid climate, more so than the simple hip-roofed dwelling. Literature studies reveal that modern building science ideas on thermal comfort in hot humid climates had been applied instinctively in traditional Javanese architecture. Computer simulation confirms them as thermally comfortable. Differences in style, petungan values, and scale were found to affect thermal comfort slightly, through their effects on the aerodynamic and thermal performance of the buildings. On the other hand, factors relating to materials have a significant effect on thermal comfort. The high porosity of traditional clay tile roof systems has provided Javanese buildings with a continuous ventilated roof, which is superior to corrugated steel from the point of view of ventilation of the dwellings. In addition, CFD modelling has proved to be a valid means of testing airflow within and around buildings. However, calibration is needed to ensure the CFD program performs accurately and reliably. Simplification of data input is also recommended to minimise complication in the simulation without necessarily sacrificing the accuracy of the results. Further applications and current limitations of CFD technology are discussed.</p>

scholarly journals Performance Study of a Multi-Objective Mathematical Programming Modeling Approach for Energy Optimization in Building Envelopes

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Model Simulation ◽  
Energy Optimization ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Performance Study ◽  
Building Envelopes ◽  
Design Elements ◽  
Shading Devices

Architecture is very responsive to the environmental and climatic factors which affect the built environment with unsteady state. Technology can be used to keep these factors under control by optimizing building design to fit with the surrounding environment and the energy needs. In addition, building envelopes play a major role in achieving thermal comfort for occupants and reducing energy consumption. Building envelopes energy optimization became a leading approach in the architectural research and implementation. This study hypothesizes that using solar shading devices with suitable design decisions of the fenestration affects the daylight level, solar heat gain, visual comfort, and thermal comfort for users. The main objective of this study is to examine the relationships between building envelope design and building energy efficiency through research and simulations. In addition, it explores which combinations of the design elements are the most efficient in terms of lighting and HVAC loads which gives the designers a variety of optimum design solutions to choose the architectural from. This research focuses on the implementation and effectiveness of shading devices, glass type, and window-wall ratio (WWR) in energy optimization through building envelope. The study used MATLAB software for the mathematical model simulation while Revit software was used for the model validation. The study found that south orientation for buildings associated with horizontal shading elements is the best solution in terms of cooling loads in summer. In winter, however, the optimal solution was south orientation with vertical shading elements in terms of heating loads and illuminance levels.

scholarly journals Traditional Javanese Residential Architecture Designs and Thermal Comfort. A Study Using a Computational Fluid Dynamics Program to Explore, Analyse, and Learn from the Traditional Designs for Thermal Comfort

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Prasasto Satwiko
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computer Simulation ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
High Porosity ◽  
Cfd Modelling ◽  
Humid Climate ◽  
Building Science

<p>This thesis grows out of a desire to understand, in building science terms, the environmental features of traditional building design practices on Yogyakarta Special Region (Indonesia). The construction of traditional dwellings conforms to a set of rules, determining both the form and process of construction. The thesis describes tests of a number of factors related to traditional Javanese buildings for their effect on thermal comfort and air flow, isolating those design aspects and analysing them through contemporary techniques. Having proposed a scientific rationale behind traditional customs, two building styles, Joglo and Limasan are analysed. These styles are shown to relate to traditional numerological systems (petungan; i.e. sri and kitri), which have governed the specific details of domestic construction, and to the scale and siting of structures within the designated traditional guidelines. For comparison, simple hip-roofed dwelling (not applying Javanese style, petungan, and materials), representing current practices, were modelled. A commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics program was used as the principal research tool, testing thermal comfort through computer simulation. The main conclusion reached by this thesis is that traditionally designed Javanese architecture is thermally comfortable in a hot humid climate, more so than the simple hip-roofed dwelling. Literature studies reveal that modern building science ideas on thermal comfort in hot humid climates had been applied instinctively in traditional Javanese architecture. Computer simulation confirms them as thermally comfortable. Differences in style, petungan values, and scale were found to affect thermal comfort slightly, through their effects on the aerodynamic and thermal performance of the buildings. On the other hand, factors relating to materials have a significant effect on thermal comfort. The high porosity of traditional clay tile roof systems has provided Javanese buildings with a continuous ventilated roof, which is superior to corrugated steel from the point of view of ventilation of the dwellings. In addition, CFD modelling has proved to be a valid means of testing airflow within and around buildings. However, calibration is needed to ensure the CFD program performs accurately and reliably. Simplification of data input is also recommended to minimise complication in the simulation without necessarily sacrificing the accuracy of the results. Further applications and current limitations of CFD technology are discussed.</p>

scholarly journals Numerical Simulation Modelling of Building-Integrated Photovoltaic Double-Skin Facades

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siliang Yang ◽  
Francesco Fiorito ◽  
Deo Prasad ◽  
Alistair Sproul
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Layer Structure ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Simulation Modelling ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Design Tool ◽  
Building Integrated Photovoltaic ◽  
Double Skin

Building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) replaces building envelope materials and provides electric power generator, which has aroused great interest for those in the fields of energy conservation and building design. Double-skin façade (DSF) has attracted significant attention over the last three decades due to its bi-layer structure, which improves thermal and acoustic insulation and therefore increases the energy efficiency and thermal comfort of buildings. It is hypothesised that the integration of BIPV and DSF (BIPV-DSF) would help buildings in reducing energy consumption and improving indoor thermal comfort concurrently. However, the prototype of the BIPV-DSF has not been well explored. Thus, the investigations of the BIPV-DSF are worthwhile. Numerical simulation is a cost and time effective measure for the design and analysis of buildings. This chapter spells out a comprehensive method of numerical simulation modelling of the novel BIPV-DSF system in buildings, which is carried out by using a graphically based design tool – TRNSYS and its plugins. TRNSYS has been validated and widely used in both the BIPV and building related research activities, which are capable in analysing the effects of BIPV-DSF on building performance such as energy consumption and indoor thermal condition.

scholarly journals Influence of Masks Protecting against SARS-CoV-2 on Thermal Comfort

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 3315
Author(s):  
Ewa Zender-Świercz ◽  
Marek Telejko ◽  
Beata Galiszewska
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
The Other ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Thermal Manikin ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Protective Shield ◽  
Full Face ◽  
The Impact

Due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, most countries have tightened their public health policies. One way to limit the spread of the virus is to make mouth and nose cover compulsory in public spaces. The article presents the impact of wearing masks on the perception of thermal comfort. The following masks were analysed: FFP2, cotton, medical, PM2.5, half-face protective shield plastic and full-face protective shield plastic. The research was carried out for two scenarios of an ambient temperature: −20 and 30 °C. A thermal manikin was used for the tests. In the case of when a temperature equals 20 °C, the dry masks increase comfort, both general and local, while wet masks reduce comfort. On the other hand, at 30 °C, only wet masks do not increase discomfort. In addition, moist masks require less heat flux to achieve a certain skin temperature. However, it should be remembered that it is not advisable to wet the masks from the health point of view.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document