Dynamic simulation of atrium thermal environment aiding building design

Atrium is becoming a popular common space in commercial buildings nowadays. In planning the thermal environment and air-conditioning system for an atrium, it is necessary to calculate a cooling load for the occupied zone and to predict the vertical temperature distribution. Besides, the thermal environment varies with time, so dynamic thermal environment analysis, including prediction of vertical temperature, is required. The building design process of the atrium consists of several different stages.