The International                        UPDATED 30th November 2011
Journal of Ventilation
Published Quarterly www.ijovent.org.uk          Subscribe to Journal  Online 

December 2011 Edition of the IJV now Published  Call for Papers

IJV now included in the Science Citation Index

Paper 3

Evaluating the Influence of Window Types on the Natural Ventilation Performance of Residential Buildings in Hong Kong

C.F. Gao and W.L. Lee

Department of Building Services Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hung Hom, Hong Kong

Abstract

Unlike cold climate regions, where natural ventilation is not preferred during winter, natural ventilation is always preferred in Hong Kong for cooling because of the subtropical climate. It also provides better indoor environment quality and energy conservation. Natural ventilation performance of a residential unit is affected by internal as well as external factors. External factors are often subject to constraints beyond the control of site planners and architects. Internal factors include opening configurations and window types, which site planners and architects are free to design the way they deem proper. However, little information is available about their precise impact. An earlier study by the authors on opening configurations identified the best and the worst out of twelve configurations. The best was with cross ventilation and the worst was with single-sided ventilation. In this study, the focus is on the influence of window types. CFD simulations were performed based on the best and worst opening configurations, different building orientations, and varying wind conditions, to evaluate the influence of different window types on natural ventilation performance using the mean age of air (MAA) as the criteria. Four window types were studied: side hung, top hung, full end-slider, and half end-slider windows. Evaluation results indicate that for cross-opening configurations natural ventilation performance was better with full end slider and side hung type windows. For single-sided opening configurations, side hung windows performed much better than the other three types. It can be concluded that better natural ventilation performance can be achieved by the use of side hung windows.

Key words:  natural ventilation, residential buildings, window types, CFD simulations.

Contents

Paper 1
System Design for Demand Controlled Ventilation in Multi-Family Dwellings

Paper 2
A Long-Term Modelling Study of Ventilation and VOC Distribution in Multi-family Residential Buildings in the Severe Cold Region of China

Paper 3
Evaluating the Influence of Window Types on the Natural Ventilation Performance of Residential Buildings in Hong Kong

Paper 4
Effects of Urban Ventilation Patterns on the Carbon Monoxide Concentration in a High-Rise Mega City

Paper 5
A Measurement Study on the Indoor Climate of a College Classroom

Paper 6
Natural Personalised Ventilation - A Novel Approach

Paper 7
Experimental Study of Turbulent Structures in a Non Isothermal Horizontal Jet Issuing from a Round Nozzle Distanced from a Wall

Paper 8
Case Study Assessment of Local and General Thermal Comfort by Means of Local Skin Temperature

A Guide to Energy Efficient Ventilation

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