Experimental investigation and CFD analysis of cross-ventilated flow through single room detached house model

Cross-ventilation is a complicated flow problem and difficult to control because wind exhibits a large degree of variation. The paper focuses on three items: a) to clarify and understand some of the basic characteristics of airflow as the influence of the opening size on the windward vortex and the leeward wake; b) to explore what information about the flow above the ground can be retrieved from pressure measurements on the ground; and c) to explore the accuracy of CFD. To meet these objectives, wind tunnel tests and CFD analyses were carried out. The studied object was a detached- house model provided with two openings. The size of these openings was changed in a wide range from narrow cracks to large openings. In the experiments, pressure measurements on the ground and PIV measurements were made. The internal flow was visualized with the sand erosion method. Pressure measurement on a floor surface is a relatively easy and an inexpensive method. In this experiment, the windward and leeward areas in particular were investigated to understand flow pattern and to confirm correspondence between flow pattern and recorded pressure on the ground. Those measurements show the difference in flow at different size openings in terms of the vortex on the windward side and the wake. When the size of the opening exceeded a certain value the near wake on the leeward side disappeared and on the windward side the vortex disappeared. The pressure distribution, flow pattern, and velocity profile are shown and compared between measurement and CFD.