Simulation Study on the Effectiveness of Passive Natural-Ventilated Facade Devices for High-Rise Public Buildings

Abstract

Although natural ventilation can save substantial energy in buildings, it is difficult to apply natural ventilation in high-rise public buildings due to the unexpected high wind speed and large noises on higher floors. To this end, this study investigates the effectiveness of passive natural-ventilated facade devices for high-rise public buildings. Numerical models for a case building with passive natural-ventilated facade devices were developed by using CFD methods. The indoor airflow fields on different floors were simulated by utilizing ANSYS Workbench FLUENT software. The results demonstrated that the passive natural-ventilated devices in the case study can achieve satisfactory air change rate on different floors in high-rise public buildings. Nevertheless, the results also proved that the indoor airflow fields were greatly influenced by the wind speed, wind direction, and the height of floors in buildings. Future studies on different boundary conditions are encouraged in order to identify the optimal operation mode and to improve the performance of the façade devices in public high-rise public buildings.