Coupled outdoor and indoor airflow prediction for buildings using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the accuracy of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for simultaneously predicting the outdoor and indoor airflows of single-cell and multi-storey buildings. Empirical models and two existing wind tunnel experimental data are used for validation. This study found that coupled CFD simulations provide sufficiently accurate airflow predictions and, in cases of buildings with complex façade treatments, accurately accounts for changes in ventilation performance, which may be impossible using empirical models. This study concludes that coupled CFD simulations can generally be used to predict ventilation performance in small and large buildings.