Investigation of thermal comfort and airflow in a naturally ventilated lightweight house in a bush fire prone area

Abstract

Building performance simulation has been utilised for the investigation of thermal comfort and airflow within a naturally ventilated, self-sufficient house in a bushfire prone area. Lightweight construction with Phase Change Materials (PCM) was proposed as an appropriate solution to respond to the brief. The simulations modelled the effects with and without PCM, to demonstrate the reduction in temperature swings throughout design days. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was used to graphically model the air velocity and temperature gradients and produced results to highlight design parameters that can assist airflow. Limitations of the software are discussed particularly in relation to assisted ventilation from ceiling fans, and miscellaneous heat gains of a fire stove, which could not be simulated effectively.