Impact of Internal Pressure Coefficients on Wind-Driven Ventilation Analysis

• Published in: The International journal of ventilation Vol. 5; no. 1; pp. 53 - 66
• Main Authors: Karava, P., Stathopoulos, T., Athienitis, A.K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis 01.06.2006
• Subjects: Cross-ventilation design; inlet to outlet ratio; internal pressure coefficient; wall porosity; wind-driven flow
• ISSN: 1473-3315; 2044-4044
• DOI: 10.1080/14733315.2006.11683724

Internal pressure coefficients in a building with wind-driven cross-ventilation caused by sliding window openings on two adjacent walls are presented and compared with previous works. The study found that internal pressure coefficients vary considerably with the opening area (or wall porosity) and the inlet to outlet ratio. The internal pressure is not uniform in a building with cross-ventilation, particularly for large openings (wall porosity higher than 10%). For inflow calculation, the average internal pressure coefficient should be used as an input in the orifice equation. The paper investigates the main parameters affecting natural ventilation, particularly cross-ventilation design. The impact of internal pressure coefficients on airflow prediction is significant.