An Experimental Study of Wind-Driven Ventilation with Double Skin Facade During Transition Seasons

Double skin facade (DSF) is an energy-efficient solution for glazing facades. However, previous studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding thermal comfort in naturally ventilated DSF buildings. To examine this issue, this study evaluated airflow velocities in naturally ventilated DSF buil...

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Main Authors: Guoqing He, Zhewen Fan, Yuan Meng, Linfeng Yao, Changqing Ye
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Energies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/13/3249
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author Guoqing He
Zhewen Fan
Yuan Meng
Linfeng Yao
Changqing Ye
author_facet Guoqing He
Zhewen Fan
Yuan Meng
Linfeng Yao
Changqing Ye
author_sort Guoqing He
collection DOAJ
description Double skin facade (DSF) is an energy-efficient solution for glazing facades. However, previous studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding thermal comfort in naturally ventilated DSF buildings. To examine this issue, this study evaluated airflow velocities in naturally ventilated DSF buildings during transition seasons through a comparative study approach. A full-scale box-type DSF room and a traditional window-wall room were simultaneously monitored in a laboratory building under real climatic conditions, with indoor environmental parameters recorded for 10 days. Airflow sensation surveys complemented the physical measurements to evaluate perceived comfort. The results showed that the DSF room consistently exhibited lower air velocities (≤0.2 m/s) compared to the traditional room, demonstrating minimal response to wind conditions related to its small openings (opening ratio of 4.7%) and increased flow resistance from the dual-layer structure of the DSF. Under unfavorable wind conditions, the DSF room demonstrated higher ventilation rates due to the enhanced stack effect. However, this advantage had a negligible effect on the thermal comfort vote for the indoor temperature range (26 °C to 28 °C). These findings highlight the climate-dependent performance of DSFs: while advantageous for thermal comfort in cooler climates, they may lead to reduced thermal comfort in warm and hot climates due to low indoor airflow velocities. Future work could include the optimization of DSF opening configurations to enhance wind-driven ventilation while maintaining stack ventilation benefits.
format Article
id doaj-art-0632ee45f02d434b8d740c2c8f602499
institution Kabale University
issn 1996-1073
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Energies
spelling doaj-art-0632ee45f02d434b8d740c2c8f6024992025-08-20T03:28:29ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-06-011813324910.3390/en18133249An Experimental Study of Wind-Driven Ventilation with Double Skin Facade During Transition SeasonsGuoqing He0Zhewen Fan1Yuan Meng2Linfeng Yao3Changqing Ye4College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, ChinaCollege of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, ChinaCollege of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, ChinaCenter for Balance Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, ChinaCenter for Balance Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, ChinaDouble skin facade (DSF) is an energy-efficient solution for glazing facades. However, previous studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding thermal comfort in naturally ventilated DSF buildings. To examine this issue, this study evaluated airflow velocities in naturally ventilated DSF buildings during transition seasons through a comparative study approach. A full-scale box-type DSF room and a traditional window-wall room were simultaneously monitored in a laboratory building under real climatic conditions, with indoor environmental parameters recorded for 10 days. Airflow sensation surveys complemented the physical measurements to evaluate perceived comfort. The results showed that the DSF room consistently exhibited lower air velocities (≤0.2 m/s) compared to the traditional room, demonstrating minimal response to wind conditions related to its small openings (opening ratio of 4.7%) and increased flow resistance from the dual-layer structure of the DSF. Under unfavorable wind conditions, the DSF room demonstrated higher ventilation rates due to the enhanced stack effect. However, this advantage had a negligible effect on the thermal comfort vote for the indoor temperature range (26 °C to 28 °C). These findings highlight the climate-dependent performance of DSFs: while advantageous for thermal comfort in cooler climates, they may lead to reduced thermal comfort in warm and hot climates due to low indoor airflow velocities. Future work could include the optimization of DSF opening configurations to enhance wind-driven ventilation while maintaining stack ventilation benefits.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/13/3249windnatural ventilationDSFair movement sensationthermal comfortstack ventilation
spellingShingle Guoqing He
Zhewen Fan
Yuan Meng
Linfeng Yao
Changqing Ye
An Experimental Study of Wind-Driven Ventilation with Double Skin Facade During Transition Seasons
Energies
wind
natural ventilation
DSF
air movement sensation
thermal comfort
stack ventilation
title An Experimental Study of Wind-Driven Ventilation with Double Skin Facade During Transition Seasons
title_full An Experimental Study of Wind-Driven Ventilation with Double Skin Facade During Transition Seasons
title_fullStr An Experimental Study of Wind-Driven Ventilation with Double Skin Facade During Transition Seasons
title_full_unstemmed An Experimental Study of Wind-Driven Ventilation with Double Skin Facade During Transition Seasons
title_short An Experimental Study of Wind-Driven Ventilation with Double Skin Facade During Transition Seasons
title_sort experimental study of wind driven ventilation with double skin facade during transition seasons
topic wind
natural ventilation
DSF
air movement sensation
thermal comfort
stack ventilation
url https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/13/3249
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