Computational analysis of natural ventilation in a large semi-enclosed stadium

The last decades, newly built large sports stadia are also increasingly being used for other events such as concerts, conferences and other activities. An example of such a modern multifunctional stadium is the Amsterdam ‘ArenA’ in the Netherlands. This stadium is equipped with a roof that can be opened and closed depending on the weather conditions and the type of event. No HVAC systems are present to control the conditions of the relatively large indoor air volume (~106 m3). When the roof is closed, the large number of spectators and insufficient natural ventilation can lead to problems concerning the indoor air quality, while overheating can be an additional problem in summer. Full-scale measurements were performed to assess the current indoor climate and air exchange rate. In addition, CFD simulations were performed to analyse the air exchange rate in the current configuration and the air exchange rates of four alternative ventilation configurations. CFD was preferred for this study for the detailed simulation of air flow through the relatively small ventilation openings, the discharge coefficients of which are unknown. The CFD simulations showed that the air exchange rate can be increased with up to 43% by creating additional openings in the upper part of the stadium.