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Thermal comfort in classrooms considering a traditional wind tower in Trabzon through simulation

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Abstract

The spaces must be designed in accordance with certain design principles for people to feel comfortable. In accordance with that, building ventilation is particularly important during hot periods to ensure thermal comfort. In this study, the effect of ventilation realized using a wind tower on the thermal quality of a classroom was investigated. In the study, two popular models (unidirectional and multidirectional wind tower) were studied, and the model that provided more ergonomic ventilation to sitting users based on climate conditions of the province of Trabzon (Turkey) during the month of August was determined. The more efficient model was studied further. Some dimensional changes in width, height, and shelf height were applied to it to find a model that provided more comfort for the used thermal conditions. The models were modelled and simulated using ANSYS FLUENT. Velocity distributions were generated to ease the interpretation of the results. With the calculated average wind speeds in different regions in the classroom, the thermal sensation in the space was evaluated. Furthermore, the thermal perception of users of the retained model was evaluated by entering thermal comfort parameter values calculated for the relevant region into the CBE thermal comfort tool available online. The change in the dimensional features of the wind tower had an impact on wind tower performance. Ventilation provided by wind towers under the thermal conditions of Trabzon in August often caused thermal discomfort.

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Abbreviations

k :

turbulent kinetic energy

ε :

rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy

ω :

specific rate of dissipation

CBE:

Center for The Built Environment

BM1:

base model 1 (unidirectional)

BM2:

base model 2 (multidirectional)

MH1:

model with wind tower height of 1 m

MH5:

model with wind tower height of 5 m

MW1.5:

model with wind tower width of 1.5 m

MW2:

model with wind tower width of 2 m

MO0.5:

model with wind tower of 0.5 m opening size

MO2:

model with wind tower of 2 m opening size

PMV:

predicted mean vote

PPD:

predicted percentage dissatisfied

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Architecture, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey

    Rova Rabeharivelo & Mustafa Kavraz

  2. Department of Technical Engineering, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey

    Cemalettin Aygün

Authors
  1. Rova Rabeharivelo
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  2. Mustafa Kavraz
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  3. Cemalettin Aygün
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Correspondence to Mustafa Kavraz.

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Rabeharivelo, R., Kavraz, M. & Aygün, C. Thermal comfort in classrooms considering a traditional wind tower in Trabzon through simulation. Build. Simul. 15, 401–418 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12273-021-0804-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12273-021-0804-9

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