Building Design Approach For The Indoor Thermal
Comfort...
Building design approach that focuses on heat gain control and heat dissipation in a
building in order to improve the indoor thermal comfort with low or nil energy
consumption is termed as Passive Cooling. (Santamouris Asimakoupolos, 1996,
Samuel, et al, 2013). This approach works either by preventing heatfrom entering the
interior (heat gain prevention) or by removing heat from the building (natural
cooling) (Limb, 1998). Natural cooling utilizes on site energy, available from the
natural environment, combined with the architectural design of building components
(e.g. building envelope), rather than mechanical systems to dissipate heat (Niles. Et
al, 1980). Therefore, natural cooling depends not only on the architectural design of
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The thermal mass will absorb and store heat during daytime hours and return it to the
space at a later time (Santamouris Asimakoupolos, 1996). Therefore, passive cooling
techniques that use heat sinks can act to either, modulate heat gain with thermal
mass, or dissipate heat through natural cooling strategies. The design of a building is
a very important factor which influences the cooling potential of a natural cooling
technique. Natural cooling techniques includes: natural ventilation, night flushing,
evaporative cooling, ground cooling and radiative cooling (Santamouris
Asimakoupolos, 1996).
2.7.2 3. Night Flushing
Night flushing (also known as night ventilation, night cooling, night purging, or
nocturnal convective cooling) is a passive or semi passive cooling strategy that
requires increased air movement at night to cool the structural elements of a building
(Santamouris Asimakoupolos, 1996). (Samuel, et al, 2013). Unlike free cooling,
which assists in chilling water, night flushing cools down the thermal mass. To
execute night flushing, the building envelope typically stays closed during the day,
causing excess heat gains to be stored in the building s thermal mass.
The building structure acts as a sink through the day and absorbs heat gains from
occupants, equipment, solar radiation, and conduction through walls, roofs, and
ceilings. At night, when the outside air is cooler and not too humid, the envelope is
opened, allowing cooler air to