A parametric study of the combined effects of window property and air vent placement

The creation of energy-efficient buildings that maintain thermal comfort is a major goal of architectural design. The study on the interrelation of vent location and window properties on indoor thermal conditions and energy performance is still needed. With the rapid development of building window technologies, such combined effects have become more complex. This work using computational fluid dynamics examines airflow patterns, temperature distributions, thermal comfort indices and corresponding heat transfers through exterior windows in an office unit during summer and winter seasons. Our results indicate that, buildings with low-insulated windows, above-the-window air register and under-the-window air register, have obvious advantages in forming comfortable conditions in summer and winter, respectively. Building with highly insulated windows, the central-ceiling placement of air supply vents is capable of merging airflows for the entire room, providing appropriate indoor thermal conditions and significant savings in energy use. The percentage of occupants dissatisfied with the thermal conditions achieved is slightly higher than best performances achieved in other reference models but still within recommended limits. The findings from this research provide an improved understanding of how thermal comfort and energy issues could change in response to different vent locations and types of building windows.