Optimizing courtyard orientation for wind-driven ventilation in hot-arid climates: a case study from Egypt

• Published in: EQA (Imola. 2009) Vol. 63; pp. 26 - 40
• Main Authors: Rabab S. Qataya, Mady Ahmed Mohamed, Hussien AlShanwany, Shimaa Sabour
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Bologna 01.08.2024
• Subjects: airflow patterns; cfd simulation; courtyard orientation; differential pressure; hot-arid climate
• ISSN: 2039-9898; 2281-4485
• DOI: 10.6092/issn.2281-4485/20043

Nowadays, there is an increasing demand for buildings that offer ideal ventilation and thermal conditions, particularly in hot-arid regions. Courtyards emerge as pivotal elements facilitating enhanced airflow and utilizing natural energy, resulting in reducing energy consumption in addition to controlling the pressure created by the wind. In response to the motivation of optimizing building performance in the face of harsh environmental challenges, our study aims to investigate how different courtyard orientations affect airflow patterns and ventilation performance in an educational building model located in Cairo and Delta region. The building, designed for the Pre-university education phase by the General Authority for Educational Buildings (GAEB), as a free-running building. Using a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations through ANSYS-Fluent software, we performed a parametric analysis testing four different orientations (0°, 15°, 30°, and 45°) in the northwest direction to identify the optimal orientation for enhancing ventilation performance. The results consistently indicated that the 0° scenario yielded the best results, followed notably by the 15° scenario which outperformed others by demonstrating superior airflow patterns and pressure differences conducive to enhanced ventilation rates. The 45° scenario was identified as the least favorable result among the four scenarios. These findings provide valuable methodological insights for architects and policymakers seeking to optimize natural ventilation strategies within Egypt's climates.