Validation of Computational Fluid Dynamics for Evaluating Indoor Thermal Performance of Buildings at Pre-Design level in the Hot-Humid Climate of Nigeria
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Abstract
Using Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in building design is likely to be one of the helpful strategies for efficient, passive, and sustainable solutions in the built environment. CFD modeling of buildings with various window-to-wall ratios (WWRs) may help predict indoor thermal environments, saving money, time, energy, and resources. Residential natural ventilation is becoming increasingly popular as a replacement for mechanical ventilation, which may lower operating costs, energy use, and carbon dioxide emissions, especially during the climate change era. It has been empirically demonstrated that wind-driven ventilation lowers indoor air temperatures and passively increases air velocity. In this instance, the study measured the existing three-bedroom bungalow's thermal performance in the master bedroom and predicted its thermal performance with a 12% WWR using CFD. According to the investigation, the instrument valiance falls within the 10% range. Thus, it is confirmed that DesignBuilder can be used to evaluate the building's thermal performance. This application could be helpful for Nigerian building designers who adopt passive strategies that encourage natural ventilation by integrating CFD into architectural practice
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