Abstract: “The flow field and temperature distribution in a three-storey simple atrium building located in three different cities across Canada is numerically investigated at different times on a summer day. The building utilizes a buoyancy-driven natural ventilation system and has a curved glazed roof over the central portion. The numerical results are obtained using the commercial CFD solver ANSYS FLUENT©. The Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) equations are solved in conjunction with the SST- k-ω turbulence model and the Discrete Transfer Radiation Model (DTRM). Results for the ventilation air flow rate, the air pressure, the velocity, the turbulence intensity, and the temperature distribution inside the building at different times of the day are presented for the various locations considered in the study.”

Keywords: Building spaces, atria, turbulent natural convection with radiation, CFD analysis