A computer model for predicting natural ventilation in buildings by solar chimney alone is presented. The simulations are based on the solution of the 3-D steady laminar conservation equations of mass, momentum and thermal energy with an appropriate set of boundary conditions. The equations are discretized using a finite difference formulation and solved by the Marker and Cell (MAC) scheme. Indoor airflow fields and temperature distributions are discussed with respect to human comfort at the living level, 1 m above floor.
The laminar flow for a backwards facing step is studied. This work was initially part of the work presented in [l]. In that work low-Reynolds number effects was studied, and the plan was also to include laminar flow. However, it turned out that when the numerical predictions of the laminar flow (Re= 118) was compared to the experiments of Restivo [2), we found a large discrepancy. We believe that there is something wrong in that experimental investigation.
Increasing interest is attributed to the problem of the accumulation of organic vapours emitted from indoor building materials due to an effective insulation of buildings with low ventilation rates. A measurement technique for determining emission rates using a 1 m3 laminar flow test chamber is described.
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