TY - JOUR

T1 - Large-eddy simulations of ventilation for thermal comfort — A parametric study of generic urban configurations with perpendicular approaching winds

AU - Wang, Weiwen

AU - Ng, Edward

AU - Yuan, Chao

AU - Raasch, Siegfried

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2017 Elsevier B.V. Copyright: Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2017/6

Y1 - 2017/6

N2 - This study investigates ventilation performance in parametric urban scenarios using a large-eddy simulation (LES) model called the Parallelized LES Model (PALM). With various combinations of planning parameters, air flows and pedestrian-level velocity ratios in a total of 48 scenarios are investigated. Major findings and recommendations are: First, ground coverage ratio (λp) is the most important factor for good ventilation. Second, in cases of homogeneous building heights, a power regression between velocity ratios and aspect ratios of parallel street canyons can be derived, which suggests that good understanding of local microclimate, especially prevailing wind directions in summer, is needed in urban planning. Third, the effects of building height differentials on urban ventilation are connected to urban density. In low-density scenarios, inhomogeneous building heights give worse ventilation performance compared to homogeneous cases. In high-density scenarios, inhomogeneous building heights result in better ventilation performance than homogeneous cases. Inhomogeneous building heights generate more vertical momentum fluxes in street canyons and have a negative (positive) effect on velocity ratios of low-density (high-density) parametric urban fabrics. The application of this point is that homogeneous building heights are recommended when low density is present, and inhomogeneous building heights may be better in cases of high density.

AB - This study investigates ventilation performance in parametric urban scenarios using a large-eddy simulation (LES) model called the Parallelized LES Model (PALM). With various combinations of planning parameters, air flows and pedestrian-level velocity ratios in a total of 48 scenarios are investigated. Major findings and recommendations are: First, ground coverage ratio (λp) is the most important factor for good ventilation. Second, in cases of homogeneous building heights, a power regression between velocity ratios and aspect ratios of parallel street canyons can be derived, which suggests that good understanding of local microclimate, especially prevailing wind directions in summer, is needed in urban planning. Third, the effects of building height differentials on urban ventilation are connected to urban density. In low-density scenarios, inhomogeneous building heights give worse ventilation performance compared to homogeneous cases. In high-density scenarios, inhomogeneous building heights result in better ventilation performance than homogeneous cases. Inhomogeneous building heights generate more vertical momentum fluxes in street canyons and have a negative (positive) effect on velocity ratios of low-density (high-density) parametric urban fabrics. The application of this point is that homogeneous building heights are recommended when low density is present, and inhomogeneous building heights may be better in cases of high density.

KW - Air ventilation assessment (AVA)

KW - High-density city design

KW - Large-eddy simulation (LES)

KW - Urban morphology

KW - Velocity ratio

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85017216262&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.uclim.2017.04.007

DO - 10.1016/j.uclim.2017.04.007

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85017216262

VL - 20

SP - 202

EP - 227

JO - Urban Climate

JF - Urban Climate

SN - 2212-0955

ER -