The influence of courtyard geometry on air flow and thermal comfort: CFD and thermal comfort simulations

Courtyard and building geometry are crucial aspects to achieve efficient natural ventilation and indoor thermal comfort in a compact urban environment. In this paper, first, a comparison between different geometries of courtyards in terms of wind flow characteristics and indoor air speed is performed based on the validation of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations with 2D publis hed wind-tunnel experiments. Second, assessment of thermal comfort is made inside a number of selected dwelling's rooms facing different courtyard geometries. It is confirmed that rooms with cross ventilation have higher indoor air speed values and therefore a better thermal comfort than with single-side ventilation. The courtyard dimensions, the position of the room and the orientation are important aspects influencing the indoor air speed and thermal comfort.