Developing a modified typical meteorological year weather file for Hong Kong taking into account the urban heat island effect

Building energy computer simulation software is a useful tool for achieving sophisticated design and evaluation of the thermal performance of buildings. For successful thermal and energy simulation of buildings, it requires hourly weather data such as dry bulb air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, wind speed, etc. Nowadays, an urban city faces a problem of an urban heat island which causes the urban area to have a higher air temperature than the rural region. Since the currently available weather dataset used in building simulation software mainly comes from weather stations located in remote and rural areas, the impact of the urban heat island on thermal and energy performance of buildings may not be effectively reflected. This paper reports an approach to construct a modified typical meteorological weather file, taking into account the urban heat island effect in the summer season. Field measurements have been carried out in the summer months and the corresponding urban heat island intensities were then determined. With a morphing algorithm, an existing typical meteorological year weather file was modified. An office building and a typical residential flat were modeled with a renowned building energy simulation program EnergyPlus. Computer simulations were conducted using the existing and modified typical meteorological year weather files. It was found that there was around a 10% increase in air-conditioning demand caused by the urban heat island effect in both cases. The implications of this and further work will also be discussed in this paper.     

A combined CFD-HAM approach for wind-driven rain on building facades

Numerical heat-air-moisture (HAM) transfer models are increasingly being used to study the hygrothermal performance and the durability of building facades. One of the most important boundary conditions for HAM simulations is wind-driven rain (WDR). Due to the complexity of WDR, however, the current HAM models generally incorporate it in a very simplified way. Recent research has shown that CFD can provide quite accurate estimates of the spatial and temporal distribution of WDR on building facades. Therefore, in this paper, a combined CFD-HAM approach is presented. It consists of implementing catch-ratio charts resulting from CFD simulations into the HAM model. Within the model, these charts are used to convert the standard meteorological input data (wind speed, wind direction and horizontal rainfall intensity) into WDR distribution records that are used as boundary condition for the actual HAM simulations. The combined approach is demonstrated for a simplified wall model. It is shown that the accuracy of the HAM-simulation results is to a large extent determined by the time resolution of the meteorological input data and by the data-averaging technique used for these data. Some important guidelines for accurate HAM analyses with WDR are provided.     

Coupled simulations for naturally ventilated rooms between building simulation (BS) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for better prediction of indoor thermal environment

The coupling strategies for natural ventilation between building simulation (BS) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are discussed and coupling methodology for natural ventilation is highlighted. Two single-zone cases have been used to validate coupled simulations with full CFD simulations. The main discrepancy factors have also been analyzed. The comparison results suggest that for coupled simulations taking pressure from BS as inlet boundary conditions can provide more accurate results for indoor CFD simulation than taking velocity from BS as boundary conditions. The validation results indicate that coupled simulations can improve indoor thermal environment prediction for natural ventilation taking wind as the major force. With the aids of developed coupling program, coupled simulations between BS and CFD can effectively improve the speed and accuracy in predicting indoor thermal environment for natural ventilation studies.     

On CFD simulation of wind-induced airflow in narrow ventilated facade cavities: Coupled and decoupled simulations and modelling limitations

Heat and mass transfer modelling in building facades with ventilated cavities requires information on the cavity air change rates, which can be a complex function of the building and cavity geometry and the meteorological conditions. This paper applies Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) CFD to study wind-induced airflow in the narrow (23 mm) ventilated facade cavities of an isolated low-rise building. Both coupled and decoupled simulations are performed. In the coupled simulations, the atmospheric boundary layer wind-flow pattern around the building and the resulting airflow in the cavities are calculated simultaneously and within the same computational domain. In the decoupled simulations, two separate CFD simulations are conducted: a simulation of the outdoor wind flow around the building (with closed cavities) to determine the surface pressures at the position of the cavity inlet and outlet openings, and a simulation of the cavity airflow, driven by these surface pressures. CFD validation is performed for the external and internal (cavity) flows. It indicates an important modelling limitation: while both laminar and turbulent cavity airflow can be accurately reproduced with low-Reynolds number modelling, this method fails in the transitional regime. The valid CFD results (outside the transitional regime) are analysed in terms of cavity airflow patterns and cavity air change rates per hour (ACH) for different cavity positions, wind speeds and wind directions. The CFD results of cavity air speed and ACH compare favourably with values from previous experimental studies. The coupled and decoupled simulation results are compared to provide an indication of the local losses. It is concluded that future work should focus on adapting RANS CFD low-Reynolds number models to accurately model cavity flow in the transitional regime.     

Dynamic integration between building energy simulation (BES) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation for building exterior surface

Different site conditions create a site specific microclimate which has great influence on building energy consumption. However, current energy simulation lacks a response to microclimate and buildings are treated with outdoor conditions based on weather data from nearest metrological site. This paper describes the coupling methodology between building energy simulation (BES) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation in order to analyze the impact of microclimate to building performance. A BES and a CFD exchange parameters in a dynamic time step base manner. The external surface of the building is the interface through which parameters are exchanged between BES and CFD. BES provides surface temperatures as the boundary conditions for CFD, while CFD calculates the heat transfer coefficients as the input to BES in each time step through a controller. This paper reviews the recent development in integration between BES and CFD methodologies. After an overview of coupling, the paper develops an approach of outdoor integration between BES and CFD. The proposed integration method is tested for case building and the result will be discussed.     

Developing future hourly weather files for studying the impact of climate change on building energy performance in Hong Kong

The concern on climate change leads to growing demand for minimization of energy use. As building is one of the largest energy consuming sectors, it is essential to study the impact of climate change on building energy performance. In this regard, building energy simulation software is a useful tool. A set of appropriate typical weather files is one of the key factors towards successful building energy simulation. This paper reports the work of developing a set of weather data files for subtropical Hong Kong, taking into the effect of future climate change. Projected monthly mean climate changes from a selected General Circulation Model for three future periods under two emission scenarios were integrated into an existing typical meteorological year weather file by a morphing method. Through this work, six sets of future weather files for subtropical Hong Kong were produced. A typical office building and a residential flat were modeled using building simulation program EnergyPlus. Hourly building energy simulations were carried out. The simulated results indicate that there will be substantial increase in A/C energy consumption under the impact of future climate change, ranging from 2.6% to 14.3% and from 3.7% to 24% for office building and residential flat, respectively.     

On the validity of numerical wind-driven rain simulation on a rectangular low-rise building under various oblique winds

Wind-driven rain (WDR) is one of the most important boundary conditions for hygrothermal building envelope analysis. Although Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation of WDR on building facades has been applied intensively in the past decade, validation is still quite limited, and most previous validation efforts have focused either on wind directions perpendicular to the facade or on buildings of complex geometry. This paper addresses CFD simulations of WDR on the west facade of a simple, rectangular low-rise test building for various oblique winds and CFD validation by comparing the simulation results with full-scale measurements. It is shown that overall, fairly accurate results can be obtained, but that the numerical simulations can significantly underestimate the WDR amounts near the downwind edge of the facade when the wind direction is increasingly oblique. These discrepancies are at least partly attributed to the very small impact angles of the raindrops at these facade positions and the resulting inaccuracies in the numerical model.     

Large eddy simulation of wind effects on a long-span complex roof structure

This paper presents a combined study of numerical simulations and wind tunnel tests for the determinations of wind effects on a long-span complex roof of the Shenzhen New Railway Station Building. The main objective of this study is to present an effective approach for the estimations of wind effects on a complex roof by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques. A new inflow turbulence generator called the discretizing and synthesizing random flow generation (DSRFG) approach was applied to simulate inflow boundary conditions of a turbulent flow field. A new one-equation dynamic subgrid scale (SGS) model was adopted for the large eddy simulations (LES) of wind effects on the station building. The wind-induced pressures on the roof and turbulent flow fields around the station building were thus calculated based upon the DSRFG approach and the new SGS model integrated with the FLUENT software. In parallel with the numerical investigation, simultaneous pressure measurements on the entire station building were made in a boundary layer wind tunnel to determine the mean, fluctuating, and peak pressure coefficient distributions. The numerically predicted results were found to be consistent with the wind tunnel test data. The comparative study demonstrated that the recommended inflow turbulence generation technique and the new SGS model as well as the associated numerical treatments are useful tools for structural engineers to assess wind effects on long-span complex roofs and irregularly shaped buildings at the design stage.     

Study on simulation methods of atrium building cooling load in hot and humid regions

In recent years, highly glazed atria are popular because of their architectural aesthetics and advantage of introducing daylight into inside. However, cooling load estimation of such atrium buildings is difficult due to complex thermal phenomena that occur in the atrium space. The study aims to find out a simplified method of estimating cooling loads through simulations for various types of atria in hot and humid regions. Atrium buildings are divided into different types. For every type of atrium buildings, both CFD and energy models are developed. A standard method versus the simplified one is proposed to simulate cooling load of atria in EnergyPlus based on different room air temperature patterns as a result from CFD simulation. It incorporates CFD results as input into non-dimensional height room air models in EnergyPlus, and the simulation results are defined as a baseline model in order to compare with the results from the simplified method for every category of atrium buildings. In order to further validate the simplified method an actual atrium office building is tested on site in a typical summer day and measured results are compared with simulation results using the simplified methods. Finally, appropriate methods of simulating different types of atrium buildings are proposed.     

Simulation of ventilated facades in hot and humid climates

The Hong Kong climate is sub-tropical with hot and humid weather from May to September and temperate climate for the remaining 7 months period. A mechanical ventilation and air-conditioning (MVAC) system is usually operated to avoid the high temperatures resulting in high peak cooling loads. The facade design has a significant influence on the energy performance of office buildings. This work evaluates different ventilated facade designs in respect to energy savings.Thermal building simulations (TRNSYS) were linked to nodal airflow network simulations (COMIS) for detailed ventilated double-skin facade performance. In order to validate the model, simulations were carried out for an office building in Lisboa; the results were compared with measured data from the same building. The simulation results of surface and air temperatures show good agreement with the measurements. The results of the study can be used to reduce surface temperatures by using different materials for the roller blind that is positioned in the cavity of the double-skin facade. The results can further be used to reduce the high peak cooling loads during the summer period. This may result in significant energy savings and a reduction in the system's cooling capacity. It proved that a careful facade design can play an important role in highly glazed buildings and provides potential for energy efficiency.     

Hybrid ventilation for low energy building design in south China

Buildings and their related activities are responsible for a large portion of the energy consumed in China. It is therefore worthwhile to investigate methods for improving the energy efficiency of buildings. This paper describes a low energy building design in Hangzhou, south China. A hybrid ventilation system which employs both natural and mechanical ventilation was used for the building due to the severity of the climate. The passive ventilation system was tested using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and the results showed that, in the mid-seasons, natural ventilation for the building is viable. The likely thermal performance of the building design throughout the year was evaluated using dynamic thermal simulation (DTS) with local hourly standard weather data. It is evident from the modelling results that the hybrid ventilation system is a feasible, low energy approach for building design, even in sub-tropical climates such as south China.     

上海建筑楼顶风能资源的初步调查研究

研究了上海建筑楼顶风速与气象站数据的相关性。通过测试上海市同济大学嘉定校区和杨浦校区的某些高楼屋顶的24 h风速数据,将之与嘉定校区中德学院小型气象站的气象数据,以及上海徐家汇地区10 m高度测风塔上的气象数据进行对比,分析了上海市楼顶风速特点。经过比较,发现位于郊区的嘉定校区低层建筑楼顶的风速情况均可使用中德学院气象站的风速代替,但是高层建筑的风速情况还需进一步研究。而杨浦校区处于市区,地形复杂,各楼顶的风速不能以气象站的风速来估算,因此市区气象站的和各楼的风速相关性还有待进一步研究。     

Modelling sheltering effects of trees on reducing space heating in office buildings in a windy city

Using statistical weather analysis, computational fluid dynamics and thermal dynamic simulation, a systematic method was developed to assess quantitatively the effects of a shelterbelt on space heating, particularly with regard to the energy consumption and CO₂ emission. It was then applied to estimate the heating loads of two typical office buildings in a windy city located at 57.2North, with and without a shelterbelt. Firstly, the statistical analysis of weather data was carried out to identify the prevailing wind direction during a typical winter heating season in the location. It was to ensure the windbreak planted rightly to maximise its sheltering benefits for the buildings in its leeward. This analysis, which revealed the main weather features in the location, would help to better comprehend the results of the thermal modelling and gain insight of how the load responses to the climate. In the second part, CFD modelling predicted wind reduction due to the shelterbelt under various wind directions. The predicted data were then used to prepare two sets of weather data, the original weather file and the revised one, in which the wind data had taken into account the reduction effect of the windbreak. The third part was a dynamic thermal modelling study where two types of office buildings were selected as the representative offices in Edinburgh for the assessment of sheltering effect on energy saving and CO₂ reduction. The predicted savings over a heating season due to the shelterbelt were in a range of 16–42% and the actual values in space heating were about 2.2 kWh m⁻² for new office buildings and 14.5 kWh m⁻² for offices converted from conventional houses without insulation improvement. These significant savings were due to the local weather that is typically known as long windy winter with many cloudy days.     

长江中下游地区梅雨季节的室内热湿环境

经过调研得到长江中下游地区(以南京为例)梅雨季节住宅建筑室内热湿状况,并分析3种不同建筑能耗计算模型(整体建筑热湿空气流动耦合模型HAM,传递函数模型CTF,有效湿渗透深度模型EMPD)的准确性。数值模型基于Matlab-Simulink编写,使用调研数据进行验证,进而使用梅雨季节典型气象参数模拟分析。调研结果显示在2013年梅雨季节,多数时间内建筑室内温度高于28℃,相对湿度高于70%。数值模拟结果显示3种能耗模型对室内温度模拟的差异较小,而对室内湿度的模拟存在较大差异,特别是CTF模型误差最大。结果显示在长江中下游地区梅雨季节,当房间换气次数小于2ACH时,围护结构对于室内环境湿缓冲的作用明显,选择合适的吸放湿材料可有效降低建筑能耗30%以上。     

村落建筑风环境分布数值分析

村落民居风环境的合理分布对村落的后期建设具有重要的意义。本文建立了村落建筑风环境分布模拟模型,进行了数值模拟研究。研究结果表明:在无附属建筑遮挡的情况下建筑迎风面风压值最大;受到建筑阻挡的影响,风沿建筑迎风面上升,在建筑上部一定距离处,流线汇集,在建筑背风面风速迅速降低。     

Computational fluid dynamics and artificial neural network-based analysis and forecasting of wind effects on obliquely parallel multiple building models using categorical variable encoding

This research investigates the influence of wind on four closely spaced parallel building models using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The buildings are positioned either perpendicular to the wind direction or at various oblique angles. The aerodynamic results obtained for these buildings in an interfering condition are compared to those of an isolated tall building using the interference and obliquity effect (IOE) factor. Graphical comparisons are made among the different models and faces, considering various obliquity angles (OAs). The inner building models exhibit higher pressure and force coefficients at higher OAs. The variation of pressure coefficients along the horizontal peripheral direction is also analyzed, and the trade-offs of higher and lower OAs are discussed for the different building models. Furthermore, an artificial neural network (ANN) is trained using surface pressure coefficients from approximately 6000 data points distributed over different facets of building models. Categorical encoding is employed using one-hot encoding-based dummy variables for different building models, while numerical variables such as OA and X, Y, and Z coordinates are included as input for the ANN. The ANN is trained using a total of 238,340 data points (considering different building models and different OA scenarios), and its parameters are monitored during training to minimize errors and achieve high predictability. Finally, a representative case is used to plot the pressure contour obtained from the trained ANN, which is shown to be highly comparable to the CFD-based contour.     

Numerical investigation on thermal performance and correlations of double skin façade with buoyancy-driven airflow

This paper briefly reviews the primary parameters for a double skin façade (DSF) design. The research presents an integrated and iterative modeling process for analyzing the thermal performance of DSF cavities with buoyancy-driven airflow by using a building energy simulation program (BESP) along with a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) package. A typical DSF cavity model has been established and simulated. The model and the modeling process have been calibrated and validated against the experimental data. The validated model was used to develop correlations that can be implemented in a BESP, allowing users to take advantage of the accuracy gained from CFD simulations without the required computation time. Correlations were developed for airflow rate through cavity, average and peak cavity air temperature, cavity air pressure, and interior convection coefficient. The correlations are valuable for “back of the envelope” calculation and for examining accuracy of zonal-model-based energy and airflow simulation programs.     

Building environment simulation before desk top computers in the USA through a personal memory

In the USA, full scale computer applications for HVAC related problems started in the early 1960s when the author was involved in the US government’s projects to evaluate the thermal environment in fallout shelters by an hour by hour simulation of heat and moisture transfer processes between human occupants and the shelter’s interior surfaces under a limited ventilation condition. General building energy simulations based on hour by hour calculations were started a few years later by the gas and electric industries. This led to the formation of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Task Group on Energy Requirements to develop a comprehensive hourly energy performance simulation of buildings, as well as to the activities of automated procedure for engineering consultants (APEC) for cooling load calculations. These activities eventually developed into the formation of four international symposia (Gaithersburg, Banff, Paris, and Tokyo) on the use of computers for environmental engineering related to buildings, the forerunner of IBPSA. A considerable amount of effort went into the earlier thermal simulation programs to improve the physical and empirical modeling of air, moisture and heat transfer processes in and through a complex building structure under varying weather conditions and building use conditions. Parallel and equally comprehensive efforts were made to improve the simulations of HVAC systems and equipment, and the development of typical weather data.     

Experimental measurement and numerical simulation of an impinging jet with application to thunderstorm microburst winds

Wind profiles and characteristics in a thunderstorm downburst are significantly different from that of regular boundary layer winds. This paper deals with the experimental and numerical simulation of a type of thunderstorm wind, namely the microburst, to study the outflow velocity characteristics. The microburst is simulated as a round jet, impinging onto a flat plate. A generic empirical equation for radial velocity profile is developed based on the experimental data, using hotwire, pressure rakes and particle image velocimetry (PIV). The experimental results are used to validate CFD simulations and to find the applicability of different turbulence models for this kind of flow. Favorable agreement between numerical and experimental studies indicates that CFD can be used for this kind of complex flow.     

Site-specific prediction for energy simulation by integrating computational fluid dynamics

Currently, energy simulations (ES) utilize various outdoor variables such as outside surface, ground surface, sky, and air temperature, using coefficients or simplified equations. These variablesuse empirical correlations that are sometimes insufficient in certain location. Variables such as air temperature at the base of the layer are informed from weather data that may not accurately represent the physical microclimate of the site, and may therefore reduce the accuracy of simulation results. This research investigates utilizing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with Monte Carlo stochastic model to predict site specific temperature parameters for energy simulation. This will allow more realistic and robust energy simulation results for specific site conditions.