Periodic heat transfer analysis: an analytical tool in modeling of non-airconditioned multi-zone buildings

This paper presents a transient periodic heat transfer analysis of non-air-conditioned multizonebuildings taking into account the effects of heat fluxes through various facades ofbuildings including windows, air ventilation and infiltration, furnishings and ground heatconduction. A user-friendly computer software has been developed for the above mentionedpurpose. The validity of the analysis and the building simulation software has been checkedby comparing the results with those obtained by running commercial software SUNCODE forthe same input data. The comparison shows a good agreement between the two. Further, acomparison is made between single zone modelling and multi-zone modelling. The multizonemodelling is seen to be more accurate. The analytical model presented here of expressingforcing functions and the solution as periodic functions which can be expressed as Fourierseries differs from the more widely used finite difference method in conventional buildingsimulation packages. The building simulation package developed would be an aid to buildingarchitects for better thermal design of non-air-conditioned buildings.