Passive design approach in enhancing natural ventilation performance of two storeys residential buildings in tropical climate

Air movement is one of the main factors contributing to thermal comfort. In achieving the comfort while maintaining low energy consumption, natural ventilation is the best source of air movement to relied on. However, inconsistency of surrounding air movement in urban areas may not provide sufficient air flow for building in the area. Based on previous research, there are building design elements that show potential in contributing good indoor natural ventilation within the surrounding. Throughout case studies, this research identifies the elements which further specified as natural ventilation attributes. Result shows, wind catcher attribute turn to be the most significant followed by wide openings and indoor layout. Whereas louvered openings show possibilities in enhancing the incoming air velocity by-passing them. Using a full-scale single unit double storey house prototype, this research applies the potential attributes to the design before being analyzed on the building indoor air movement effect. The ratio of the overall indoor air movement upon outdoor air movement at particular hours was used to indicate the space indoor natural ventiation performance for the building. The result shows significant high incoming air velocity through the aerofoil louvered wind catcher applied as the high opening for the building atrium. The high air velocity was maintained at the upper area inside the atrium before rapidly reduced along its way down. The low positioning of the neutral pressure plane (NPP) level in the building kept the process flows. Wide openings provided at uper level, even are not directly attached to the atrium may cause air short cut flowing out along the way down. However, wide openings at lower level, significantly contribute good air flow despite slower crossing ventilation flowing at the level. In a situation when the surrounding air is almost stagnant, the design was found still capable to keep the air movement flow via stack effect ventilation. The research also found that while it is important for the building to to enhance the incoming air flow, it is also important to provide a properly planned layout design to manage the indoor air flow.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

phd

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

Year dc:date.issued

2018

Author dc:creator

• Abd Wahab, Izudinshah

• TH7005-7699 Heating and ventilation. Air conditioning

Language dc:language

en