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Browsing by Author "Obeidat, Laith M."

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    Parametric Enhancement of a Window-Windcatcher for Enhanced Thermal Comfort and Natural Ventilation
    Obeidat, Laith M.; Alrebei, Odi Fawwaz; Nouh Ma’bdeh, Shouib; Al-Radaideh, Tamer; Amhamed, Abdulkarem I. (MDPI, 2023-05-09)
    Window-windcatchers, a passive ventilation method, have been shown to improve ventilation and enhance thermal comfort. Preliminary characterization of a novel window-windcatcher has been undertaken in a previous work, but no relationship had been identified between the actual ventilation rate (Qact), the wind velocity (VTw) and crucial design parameters such as the fins angle (ϴ)). In this paper, the relationship that quantifies how the window-windcatcher’s performance depends on VTw and ϴ was determined. Additionally, for the first time, the ventilation performance of the window-windcatcher was optimized by studying the effects of ϴ and the fins-wall distance (DW−f) through a Computational Fluid Dynamics parametric study (ANSYS)|. In this optimization approach, the angle ϴ and the distance DW−f corresponding to the maximum actual-to-required ventilation rate were found to be 80° and 45 cm, respectively. The actual ventilation rate increased by approximately 13.2% compared with the baseline design of the windcatcher (ϴ and DW−f equal to 40° and 45 cm, respectively); this corresponds to an increase of approximately 8.6% in the actual-to-required ventilation rate, according to the ASHRAE standards.
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    Quantifying Energy Reduction and Thermal Comfort for a Residential Building Ventilated with a Window-Windcatcher: A Case Study
    Nouh Ma’bdeh, Shouib; Fawwaz Alrebei, Odi; Obeidat, Laith M.; Al-Radaideh, Tamer; Kaouri, Katerina; Amhamed, Abdulkarem I. (MDPI, 2022-12-29)
    Previous studies on window-windcatchers have shown their effectiveness in capturing the prevailing wind and redirecting it into a building, increasing the actual-to-required ventilation ratio by 9%, above what is required by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). However, the effect of implementing the proposed system on energy performance, energy costs, and thermal comfort has not been studied. Therefore, here, we investigate and test the implementation of the window-windcatcher on a typical residential building, using a validated DesignBuilder model. Compared to the base case (no window-windcatcher), the total annual energy consumption of the entire building (Etot,b), and consequently the cost, is reduced by approximately 23.3% (i.e., from 18,143 kWh/year to 13,911 kWh/year) when using the window-windcatcher. The total annual reduction in thermal discomfort hours is estimated to be 290 h, which corresponds to an average monthly reduction of approximately 24 h.