Quantifying Fenestration Effect on Thermal Comfort in Naturally Ventilated Classrooms
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. Challenge of GCC Countries’ Climate and Dependency on Passive Ventilation
1.2. Thermal Comfort Perception of GCC’s Learners
1.3. Influencing Factors on Thermal Comfort
1.4. Objectives
- To quantify the effect of openings (fenestration) on the windward and leeward sides to evaluate their effects on thermal comfort by carrying out a comparison between five ventilation scenarios represented in single inlet single outlet (SISO), single inlet double outlet (SIDO), double inlet single outlet (DISO), double inlet double outlet (DIDO) and single-side ventilation (SSV).
- To study the effect of occupancy load on thermal comfort.
- To compare between cross ventilation (CV) and single-side ventilation (SSV).
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Monitoring the Air Conditions at Inlet(s) and Outlet(s)
2.2. Classroom Setup
2.3. Recording Measurements
2.4. Five Ventilation Scenarios
2.4.1. Experiments’ Repeatability
2.4.2. Climate Applicability
2.4.3. Inlets and Outlets Effect
2.4.4. Occupancy Effect
2.4.5. Cross Ventilation versus Singe-Side Ventilation
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Repeatability Analysis
3.2. Comfort Assessment
3.3. Inlets and Outlets Effect
3.4. Occupancy Effect
3.5. Cross Ventilation versus Singe-Side Ventilation Analysis
4. Conclusions
- The repeatability of experiments showed accurate results with an acceptable level of confidence by using the measurement devices of this study, while recording the indoor parameters of dry air temperature, humidity, globe temperature and airspeed for the repeated experiments, either it was cross-ventilation (CV) or single-side ventilation (SSV).
- Single-side ventilation cannot offer thermal comfort except at high airspeed (ACH > 1.14), while comfort is attained by cross-ventilation at ambient outdoor temperature ranged between 21.8 °C to 26.8 °C, considering the maximum temperature difference of 1.8 °C for maximum prevailing outdoor temperature when the inlet airspeed less than 0.2 ms−1.
- The increase in inlet temperature for measured locations ranged between 1.8–5.3 °C.
- The difference between monitored locations and inlet air temperature is inversely proportional to the number of air change per hour inside the classroom.
- The double inlet single outlet “DISO” scenario achieves the lowest temperature difference compared with the other scenarios at the same ACH.
- The difference between location and inlet air temperature is directly proportional to occupancy load.
- Using cross-ventilation instead of single-side ventilation reduces the temperature differences in all locations between 0.5 to 2.5 °C. Cross ventilation increases the entrained air causing the airspeed for all locations to increase up to three folds.
- On the extent of saving energy consumed inside mechanically ventilated buildings, it is recommended to depend on the passive ventilation either it is cross ventilation or single-sided mode. The measured findings indicate up to 85% of climate outdoor conditions provide full and partial thermal satisfaction for occupants, while 15% offer dissatisfaction due to the low airspeed associated with occupants are free to adapt their clothing.
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Recorded Parameter | Experiment (1) | Experiment (2) |
---|---|---|
23 February 2021 | 24 February 2021 | |
Tin [°C] | 23.40 | 23.20 |
Vin [m/s] | 0.12 | 0.10 |
%RHin | 51.20 | 51.40 |
Tout [°C] | 28.3 | 27.5 |
Vout [m/s] | 0.03 | 0.02 |
%RHout | 40.7 | 43.2 |
Recorded Parameter | Experiment (1) | Experiment (2) |
---|---|---|
10 February 2021 | 13 February 2021 | |
Tin [°C] | 25.50 | 25.50 |
Vin [m/s] | 0.02 | 0.03 |
%RHin | 56.4 | 41.8 |
Experiment Mode Scenario | E01 CV | E02 SSV | E03 CV | E04 CV | E05 CV | E06 CV | E07 CV | E08 CV | E09 CV | E10 CV |
SISO | SSV | SIDO | DISO | DIDO | DIDO | DIDO | DIDO | SISO | DIDO | |
Ta | 25.1 | 26.1 | 24.6 | 23.5 | 22.9 | 22.3 | 22.3 | 21.8 | 23.3 | 24.3 |
Top @ P1 | 27.6 | 28.2 | 26.3 | 24.3 | 24.9 | 24.1 | 24.4 | 25.0 | 25.8 | 26.5 |
Top @ P2 | 27.9 | 28.8 | 26.5 | 24.4 | 25.1 | 23.9 | 24.5 | 25.2 | 26.0 | 26.4 |
Top @ P3 | 28.1 | 29.4 | 26.8 | 24.5 | 25.4 | 23.7 | 24.6 | 25.3 | 26.5 | 26.8 |
Top @ P4 | 27.7 | 29.8 | 27.0 | 25.0 | 25.7 | 23.6 | 24.7 | 25.6 | 26.7 | 27.1 |
Top @ P5 | 27.9 | 30.1 | 27.2 | 25.5 | 25.5 | 23.6 | 24.9 | 25.9 | 26.9 | 27.3 |
Top @ P6 | 28.4 | 30.1 | 27.0 | 25.8 | 25.2 | 24.0 | 25.1 | 26.1 | 27.1 | 27.4 |
Top @ P7 | 29.0 | 30.3 | 27.2 | 25.9 | 25.6 | 24.3 | 25.5 | 26.6 | 27.4 | 27.7 |
Top @ P8 | 29.2 | 30.4 | 27.3 | 25.6 | 25.7 | 24.4 | 25.9 | 26.9 | 27.4 | 27.9 |
Top @ P9 | 29.2 | 30.1 | 27.3 | 25.5 | 25.7 | 24.5 | 26.0 | 26.7 | 27.3 | 28.0 |
Top @ P10 | 29.0 | 29.8 | 27.1 | 25.3 | 25.0 | 24.5 | 26.0 | 26.6 | 27.4 | 27.8 |
Mode | E11 CV | E12 SSV | E13 CV | E14 CV | E15 CV | E16 CV | E17 | E18 CV | E19 SSV | E20 CV |
SISO | SSV | SIDO | SISO | DIDO | SISO | SSV | SIDO | SSV | SIDO | |
Ta | 23.4 | 26.2 | 23.3 | 23.3 | 22.5 | 22.9 | 25.5 | 24.5 | 25.5 | 24.4 |
Top @ P1 | 25.6 | 27.4 | 26.5 | 25.1 | 24.7 | 25.8 | 28.0 | 27.2 | 27.9 | 27.1 |
Top @ P2 | 25.6 | 28.0 | 26.4 | 25.3 | 24.9 | 26.3 | 28.5 | 27.3 | 28.5 | 27.2 |
Top @ P3 | 25.8 | 28.5 | 26.1 | 25.6 | 25.2 | 26.7 | 29.0 | 27.8 | 29.1 | 27.4 |
Top @ P4 | 26.1 | 28.8 | 26.3 | 26.0 | 25.3 | 27.0 | 29.4 | 28.3 | 29.5 | 27.8 |
Top @ P5 | 26.4 | 29.1 | 26.3 | 26.2 | 25.3 | 27.3 | 29.5 | 28.3 | 29.8 | 27.9 |
Top @ P6 | 26.7 | 29.2 | 26.3 | 26.3 | 25.5 | 27.2 | 29.7 | 28.4 | 29.9 | 28.0 |
Top @ P7 | 27.1 | 29.3 | 26.4 | 26.5 | 25.6 | 27.6 | 30.0 | 28.4 | 30.2 | 27.9 |
Top @ P8 | 27.4 | 29.6 | 26.5 | 26.6 | 25.6 | 27.9 | 30.2 | 28.2 | 30.6 | 27.9 |
Top @ P9 | 27.5 | 29.8 | 26.4 | 26.6 | 25.7 | 27.9 | 30.3 | 28.3 | 30.8 | 27.6 |
Top @ P10 | 27.3 | 29.7 | 26.4 | 26.3 | 25.8 | 27.9 | 30.3 | 27.9 | 30.8 | 27.6 |
Mode | E21 CV | E22 CV | E23 SSV | E24 CV | E25 CV | E26 CV | E27 CV | E28 CV | ||
SIDO | DIDO | SSV | SISO | SISO | SISO | SISO | SISO | |||
Ta | 26.0 | 25.6 | 31.0 | 23.5 | 23.1 | 23.4 | 23.2 | 23.0 | ||
Top @ P1 | 27.1 | 28.1 | 31.3 | 25.9 | 25.4 | 25.4 | 25.0 | 26.1 | ||
Top @ P2 | 27.4 | 28.3 | 31.8 | 25.9 | 25.3 | 25.6 | 25.3 | 26.3 | ||
Top @ P3 | 28.1 | 28.5 | 32.3 | 26.3 | 25.7 | 25.8 | 25.8 | 26.5 | ||
Top @ P4 | 28.5 | 29.0 | 32.7 | 26.6 | 26.1 | 25.9 | 26.1 | 26.7 | ||
Top @ P5 | 28.5 | 29.1 | 32.9 | 26.9 | 26.1 | 26.2 | 26.3 | 26.8 | ||
Top @ P6 | 28.8 | 29.2 | 33.0 | 27.3 | 26.3 | 26.2 | 26.2 | 26.8 | ||
Top @ P7 | 29.1 | 29.3 | 33.4 | 27.6 | 26.5 | 26.4 | 26.2 | 26.8 | ||
Top @ P8 | 29.4 | 29.5 | 33.9 | 27.7 | 26.8 | 26.3 | 26.1 | 26.7 | ||
Top @ P9 | 29.6 | 29.4 | 34.1 | 27.6 | 26.8 | 26.2 | 25.9 | 26.6 | ||
Top @ P10 | 29.3 | 29.2 | 34.2 | 27.4 | 26.6 | 26.0 | 25.9 | 26.7 | ||
E01–E28 | Twenty-eight experiments carried by authors | |||||||||
P1–P10 | Ten Locations monitored in the studied classroom | |||||||||
CV | Cross Ventilation | |||||||||
SSV | Single-Side Ventilation | |||||||||
SISO | Single Inlet Single Outlet | |||||||||
SIDO | Single Inlet double Outlet | |||||||||
DISO | Double Inlet single Outlet | |||||||||
DIDO | Double Inlet double Outlet | |||||||||
Ta | Inlet Air Temperature | |||||||||
Top | Operative Temperature | |||||||||
Shaded cells not complied with 90% acceptability limits of ASHRAE Standard 55 |
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Reda, I.; AbdelMessih, R.N.; Steit, M.; Mina, E.M. Quantifying Fenestration Effect on Thermal Comfort in Naturally Ventilated Classrooms. Sustainability 2021, 13, 7385. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137385
Reda I, AbdelMessih RN, Steit M, Mina EM. Quantifying Fenestration Effect on Thermal Comfort in Naturally Ventilated Classrooms. Sustainability. 2021; 13(13):7385. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137385
Chicago/Turabian StyleReda, Ibrahim, Raouf N. AbdelMessih, Mohamed Steit, and Ehab M. Mina. 2021. "Quantifying Fenestration Effect on Thermal Comfort in Naturally Ventilated Classrooms" Sustainability 13, no. 13: 7385. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137385