A comparison between CFD and Network models for predicting wind-driven ventilation in buildings

The aim of this paper is to compare the implementation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and Network models for airflow rate estimation in buildings. The CFD software used is Fluent 5.5. Comparison between the predicted and simulated airflow rate is suggested as a validation method of the implemented CFD code, while the common practice is to compare CFD outputs to wind tunnel or full-scale measurements. This could be useful for studies that have no access to laboratory or full-scale testing facilities. Results obtained from testing a number of cases have been compared and analysed, considering normal and oblique wind directions. The comparison held between mathematical and CFD results generally showed a good agreement, which seems to justify the use of CFD code for predicting natural ventilation in buildings. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.