Computational modelling in a high rise building with different building envelope materials for sustainable living

Abstract

This research focuses on identifying a sustainable material for building envelope for energy efficacy in naturally ventilated high rise residential buildings through CFD. Convective heat transfer is observed in three levels of the 14 storied highrise naturally ventilated building using three different building envelope materials ? burnt clay bricks, solid concrete block, and hollow concrete block. To artificially create the environment with CFD the different temperatures and velocities are used. The boundary conditions - initial outdoor temperatures 30 ?C and 23 ?C, respectively, were kept constant and the initial outdoor velocities 1 m/s to 10 m/s, were varied and simulated at 12 noon condition. Simulation results reveal, higher indoor temperatures in the roof exposed floor. At 30?C it is observed that there is a 0.2-0.3?C temperature difference between the burnt clay brick wall and the hollow concrete block wall through the varied velocities. In all cases of air velocities, the air temperature in the indoor spaces of the solid concrete block wall was found to be highest. This proves that solid concrete block wall has the highest conductivity and least resistivity over the other two materials. In the hollow concrete block, the process of conduction is slow and apparently the temperature in the indoor spaces is reduced. Thus, the results clearly indicate that the temperature in the indoor spaces of the hollow block building envelope was comparatively low when compared to the other two building materials.