Experimental and Numerical Analysis on Effect of Passive Cooling Methods on an Indoor Thermal Environment Having Floor-Level Windows

Beilei Qin, Xi Xu, Takashi Asawa and Lulu Zhang
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Beilei Qin: Dassault Systèmes K.K, ThinkPark Tower, 2-1-1 Osaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-6020, Japan
Xi Xu: School of Spatial Planning and Design, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou 310015, China
Takashi Asawa: Department of Architecture and Building Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midroi-ku, Yokohama 226-8502, Japan
Lulu Zhang: College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Tongji University, 1239 SiPing Rd, Shanghai 200092, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 13, 1-24

Abstract: Natural ventilation is a common passive cooling method for improving air quality and thermal comfort; however, hot temperatures in summer and safety and privacy issues at night often result in its unideal performance. Therefore, we proposed the use of floor-level windows, mainly combined with microclimate improvement, to improve the indoor thermal environment by enhancing the cooling effect of natural ventilation during summer. Our study area was a house in Machida, Tokyo. We evaluated the effectiveness of our method in improving the indoor thermal environment in summer and performed a numerical simulation, while illustrating the detailed horizontal and vertical distribution of airflow in the house through the floor-level windows. The influence of different window types and opening angles of floor-level windows on ventilation and cooling was determined using the simulation. We found that: (a) natural ventilation-based passive cooling methods reduced semi-outdoor and indoor temperature and increased the humidity; (b) the airflow formed an indoor wind path; south-westerly inflow was from western floor-level windows and the skylight, and the outflow was from northern floor-level windows; and (c) the side hung windows (with an opening angle of 60°) were an ideal option to improve indoor airflow. However, there was no improvement in the passive cooling performance, due to the inflow of warmer outside air.

Keywords: passive cooling method; natural ventilation; floor-level windows; microclimate improvement; numerical analysis; indoor air quality; side hung type (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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