Ecotect Weather Analysis - Term Paper Example

TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 ECOTECT WEATHER ANALYSIS 2 Optimal Orientation 2 Wind Analysis 4 Summer Analysis 4 Autumn Analysis 5 Winter Analysis 5 Spring Analysis 7 Climate Weekly Summary 31 Passive Design Techniques 33 Passive Solar Heating 33 Natural Ventilation 35 Thermal Mass Effect 37 Night Purge Ventilation 39 Direct Evaporative Cooling 41 Combined Passive Design Techniques 43 ECOTECT WEATHER ANALYSIS Optimal Orientation Orientation happens to be one of the elements of building design that could significantly affect building performance. A building that is optimally oriented is one with the capability of diving back a big percentage of the sun’s radiation during summer thus cooling itself. Again, such a building is capable of attracting much heat during winter thus warming itself. Ecotect is therefore a mechanism through which the alignment of location is defined through data examination in such a way that the rate of sun’s radiation is greater during summer than in winter seasons. This is depicted in the yellow shaded region of the diagram below. Optimum orientation is known to occur in the instance where sun’s radiations are extremely high during sum while at the same time providing maximum protection. From the diagram below of optimum orientation, it is possible to identify situations of worst and best scenarios on orientation with red colored border representing the worst scenario and the best scenario being represented by the yellow border. The best orientation is one that is south facing with buildings positioned between 135° to 225°. The figure below also shows the different seasons represented by three lines each colored differently. The blue line represents the winter season, red line representing summer and the annual average being represented by the green colored line. The blue line which happens to run down all the way from the north to south direction represents winter season. Since the summer season requires no heat, it oriented in the west and east as represented by the red colored line. In order to get the best orientated design, heat is avoided during summer while encouraged during winter. It is for this reason that the design facing south is purported to be the best orientated design. Ecotect Kuwait's Optimum Orientation Wind Analysis Summer Analysis During summer, buildings tend to overheat thus to optimize their performance during summer they ought to be built in such a way that they are sheltered from heat and humid winds. This is because the two significantly affect the interior active cooling of a building. There are times during summer when natural ventilation is not enough to bring cooling in a building. As such, data on the prevailing winds is used when protecting a building from the high ambient temperatures experienced in summer. Summer is also characterized by low speed winds with average speed range of 10 to 25km/h that could last up to 29 hours moving in the south eastern direction. The orientation of south east experiences winds of higher speeds that go past 40km/h and last for 38 hours. On the other hand, winds at high temperatures of about 48°c travel in the North West direction at higher speed. Given that the main goal during summer is protecting the building against high temperature winds, the best orientated position happens to be the North West direction as depicted in the diagram below. Ecotect-Summer Prevailing Wind Autumn Analysis The autumn season is characterized by relatively low temperatures with mild minds. In getting the best position for autumn, it important to put into consideration the North West winds in order to keep the building with the desired warmth. This is because the North West course blows winds at speeds between 20 to 30 km/h for an average time of between 21 to 38 hours. In addition, the North West winds are normally at temperatures of about 24°C to36°C degrees going up to highs of36.4°C especially in the south east bearing during autumn season. The diagrams below represent the autumn season analyzed. Ecotect-Autumn Prevailing Winter Analysis Buildings are required to be in such a way that they provide heating during the winter season instead of cooling. The heat plays a significant role in the provision of thermal comfort to the occupant of the building as weather cools off in Kuwait. The prevailing winds of winter are known to have a speed of 10 to 30km/h lasting for more than 66 hours. These winds blowing to the north western side have a temperature of 12°C. The temperature happens to be too low to provide any warmth to buildings during winter. Therefore ambient conditions can be created through the HVAC unit economy cycle which applies the natural ventilation mechanism. Nevertheless, in the application of the mild temperatures through the economizer mode the building are also protected from low temperature winds. It has been noted that winter is characterized by high humid levels when compared to other seasons especially in the south and south-west directions. Ecotect-Winter Prevailing Winds Spring Analysis During spring, wind velocities normally range between 10 and 40 km/h, for a period that exceeds 66 hours, mainly heading South East. In the North East direction wind temperatures above 35oC may occur. Recurrent winds take a direction that is different from that of winds with extreme temperatures, which implies that the building is free from regular hot winds. On average, the temperature range is about 150oC, which means that natural ventilation is feasible during spring. The building in the project should be designed such that it in-takes low-temperature winds that are naturally occurring in the South West, West and South directions. Humidity is normally the highest in the South West with favorable conditions for a building being in the eastern direction.. Ecotect-Spring Prevailing Winds Climate Weekly Summary Figures 4.6 and 4.7 illustrate the levels of Kuwaiti average temperatures and relative humidity for the year. The graphs for the two weather phenomena have three axes, one for relative humidity or average temperature, one for the year’s weeks and the last one for hours of the day. From figure 4.6 it is clear that the highest temperatures are reached at noon during the mid-year weeks, at more than 45oC. On the other hand, the coldest periods of the year are experienced at midnight during the start of the year, and during the end of the year. Between midnight and 4.00 a.m. in the morning, the temperature can go as low as 0oC. In summer however, the region experiences a temperature increase to between 15 and 20oC throughout the day. A normal day would begin with temperatures of between 30 and 35oC, but the temperature increases to over 45oC at noon and then decrease to between 10 and 35oC towards the end of the day. The same scenario is observed in winter but the temperatures of winter are less and thus at the start of the day, temperatures are around 0oC. The temperatures then increase as the day progresses to a high of between 10 and 15oC. Relative humidity levels are the opposite of temperature levels because when temperatures are high at around midday, relative humidity is low at about 30% at midday in the middle of the year. In the same way, humidity peaks when the temperatures are the lowest, at around 70%. As the year begins, and as the year ends, humidity peaks at around 60-70%. These levels are reached between midnight and 8.00 a.m. but the levels decrease to about 45-50% at midday. The levels of humidity then increase to around 60% at the cold hours as the day ends. The same is observed during mid-year. Humidity peaks at around 40% at midnight and then it decreases to around 30% when temperatures increase at noon. Later in the day as temperatures decrease, levels of humidity increase to about 40% Ecotect – Weekly Summary (Average Temperature) Ecotect – Weekly Summary (Relative Humidity) Passive Design Techniques Passive Solar Heating Sun-oriented warming is a technique that designers use to warm homes using the high temperatures that the homes are characteristic of the environment the homes are built in. Utilizing the brilliant vitality of the sun is the main goal in passive sun-powered warming. A fan is simply placed at the most conspicuous point of the roof, attracting warm air, which would ordinarily remain at the top. After it is captured, the warm air is medicinally evaluated before it is conveyed into the establishment through a ducting system. The main mobile and critical part of the set-up is the fan. The warm vitality in the building is exploited by either a component of the building or the building itself. This is done through round air spaces or convection. Warming in the house is also upgraded by the distinctive ways that are indicated aloof the building, which reduces the urgency of the need to use vitality hotspots. The illustrations indicate that a basic aloof sun-based configuration incorporates warm mass, sunlight-based boards, and warm fire places. The graph below shows the effect that a detached sun-oriented warming system has on a building. In the graph, the yellow bars indicate the situation of the building before the solar-heating system is implemented and the red bars represent the situation of the building after the solar-heating system is implemented. As illustrated, the comfort rates of a building can be found throughout the year. In winter, comfort is almost tripled with the most substantial change in comfort rate occurring in March. In summer Kuwaiti temperatures are high and thus changes were negligible, and mechanical heating systems are needed. Ecotect – Passive Solar Heating Performance Comparison Ecotect – Passive Design Techniques Psychometric Chart Natural Ventilation The internal ventilates of the building are less extraordinary as compared to the outside, with regard to freshness and wetness. This is particularly the case in situations where the internal air is rejected and the external air is surrounds the building. This is the main advantage of general ventilation. There are a number of behavioral components of ventilation like the stack-effect, thermo-spinning, and inciting fluid components. Most ventilation basically includes ensuring that the envelope of the building is opened up in order to ensure that high-volume winds are able to stream inside the building. However, the viability of harvesting such winds depends on the conditions prevailing outside relative to those prevailing inside the building. The following is an analysis of how implementing natural ventilations while considering the neighboring conditions affects a building. Building execution considerably increases in spring and autumn. However, during summer, the same decreases to around 30%. In winter, the percentage takes a downward spiral to reach 0%. Therefore, it is important to ensure that ventilation forms part of detached sun-oriented building plans. A stack that is sun-based can actually be used to help natural ventilation and thereby decrease vitality request. Ecotect – Natural Ventilation Performance Comparison Ecotect – Natural Ventilation Techniques Psychometric Chart Thermal Mass Effect One of the most invaluable factors that lead to a comfortable building surrounding is the thermal storage mass. This effect is normally useful in winter because in summer, it takes some time to transmit heat and this also depends on material that is used to construct the building. This implies that when a wall or roof of a building that is built using light weight material is exposed to a thermal load, it takes a short period of time for the inside of the building to experience the thermal effect. For instance, less than one hour in a roof made of steel without any additional mass and in well-insulated metals. Contrarily, in contemporary masonry construction, there is normally a time lag of between 4 hours and 6 hours before external loads can be felt in the inner wall surface of the building. The psychometric chart below shows that comfort zone extends to levels between 25°C and 30°C. The graph below it is apparent that thermal mass is vital in summer, spring and autumn. This is because the percentage doubles after thermal mass is implemented. However, it is important to note that from November to February, Kuwait is in winter and thus the percentage decreases during this period. Annually, the percentage goes up from 8% to 36%. Ecotect – Thermal Mass Performance Comparison Ecotect – Thermal Mass Effects Techniques Psychometric Chart Night Purge Ventilation Night purge is a term used to refer to the opening of openings like windows during the night because the same are open during the day. This allows the building to cool its thermal mass for the following day. Night purge ventilation is applicable in situations where the night time temperatures are substantially cooler than temperatures that prevail during the day. In order for night purge ventilation to apply well, the building should have enough exposed mass. Night-time heating and cooling is also possible using the DEC system. The psychometric chart illustrates the effect that Night Purge Ventilation has on the construction industry. A good climate from the inside of between 17°C and 33° can be achieved. Heat gains from the sun can be harnessed for temperatures as low as 25°C, which extends the thermal comfort zone. However, when more heat is needed during winter, heat gains from the sun are too low to affect the comfort percentages. Ecotect – Night Purge Performance Comparison Ecotect – Night Purge Ventilation Techniques Psychometric Chart Direct Evaporative Cooling Evaporative cooling is responsible for the chill that is felt when a person encounters a breeze. The breeze dissipates its water on the skin of the person experiencing it making the body give out its high temperature. Direct or immediate cooling by dissipation occurs after some fabric/material is made damp at low temperatures. After air or hot gasses pass through such a fabric or material, the material’s dampness is dissipated and the air or hot gas is cooled. This framework can possibly be actualized in a rented out space to ensure that tenants enjoy comfortable temperatures in a given building. It is however important to mention that this method cannot be suitably applied in areas that have high mugginess. The system cannot be described as aloof in the strict sense because there is work to be done in ensuring that air moves through the fabric or material. Additionally, more information on the potential of such a cooling system needs to be clearly indicated. The method outlined above illustrates the benefits that come with implementing an immediate or direct evaporative cooling framework. It was apparent that tenant comfort could be achieved with more ease as compared to other cooling configuration frameworks. It is however important to note that some pre-summer and winter changes could be seen. Some changes occur in spring and outumn. Ecotect – Direct Evaporative Performance Comparison Ecotect – Direct Evaporative Cooling Techniques Psychometric Chart Combined Passive Design Techniques The graph below shows an expanded version of an uninvolved system of sun-based warming, the night-cleansing ventilation, characteristic ventilation, direct evaporative cooling and warm mass cooling all being implemented collectively in the same building. The yellow bar on the graph shows the solace rate of the building’s former usage that was determined using detached outline frameworks. On the other hand, the red bars show the effect of having all design techniques applied to the same building. The comfort of inhabitants is commendably enhanced, with the increase in comfort being about three times the initial comfort rate for all periods of the year including the whole of winter. In cases where there was a zero comfort rate, having all the design techniques in place led to a comfort rate of up to 55percent. Generally, comfort rate for all seasons of the year increased by between 10% and 50 %. Ecotect – Combined Passive Technology Performance Comparison Ecotect – Combined Passive Technology Psychometric Chart Read More