Natural ventilation effectiveness of awning windows in restrooms in K-12 public schools

Abstract

Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), this study explores the effect of a different number of awning windows and their installation locations on the airflow patterns and air contaminant distributions in restrooms in K-12 (for kindergarten to 12th grade) public schools in Taiwan. A representative restroom configuration with dimensions of 10.65 m × 9.2 m × 3.2 m (height) was selected as the investigated object. Based on the façade design feasibility, seven possible awning window configurations were considered. The results indicate that an adequate number of windows and appropriate installation locations are required to ensure the natural ventilation effectiveness of awning windows. The recommended installation configuration is provided.