Urban Building Physics: A CFD study of the Venturi-effect in non-parallel passages between buildings

Bert Blocken; Ted Stathopoulos; Jan Carmeliet

doi:10.1201/9781003060826

Urban Building Physics: A CFD study of the Venturi-effect in non-parallel passages between buildings

Bert Blocken^*, Ted Stathopoulos, Jan Carmeliet

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract

The Venturi-effect refers to the increase of fluid speed due to a decrease of the flow section. Although it was originally defined for confined flows, in the past the use of this terminology has been extended to wind flows in passages between buildings, which are non-confined or open flows. In this paper, the wind speed conditions in converging and diverging passages between perpendicular buildings are studied with Computational Fluid Dynamics. The aim is to investigate the extent to which the Venturi-effect contributes to the increased wind speed in the passages. The simulations show that the wind conditions are systematically more severe in diverging than in converging passages, which is opposite to what is generally assumed. It is shown that the term Venturi-effect should be used with caution in building aerodynamics and that it is not always suitable to describe wind flow in passages between buildings.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Research in Building Physics and Building Engineering
Subtitle of host publication	3rd International Conference in Building Physics (Montreal, Canada, 27-31 August 2006)
Place of Publication	London
Publisher	CRC Press
Pages	935-942
Number of pages	8
ISBN (Electronic)	9781003060826
ISBN (Print)	0415416752, 9780415416757
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003060826
Publication status	Published - 2006
Event	3rd International Conference in Building Physics: Research in Building Physics and Building Engineering - Montreal, Canada Duration: 27 Aug 2006 → 31 Aug 2006

Conference

Conference	3rd International Conference in Building Physics
Country/Territory	Canada
City	Montreal
Period	27/08/06 → 31/08/06

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Civil and Structural Engineering
Building and Construction

Access to Document

10.1201/9781003060826

Cite this

@inproceedings{8c6f0f07da0b48108dc4035c7e4257f0,

title = "Urban Building Physics: A CFD study of the Venturi-effect in non-parallel passages between buildings",

abstract = "The Venturi-effect refers to the increase of fluid speed due to a decrease of the flow section. Although it was originally defined for confined flows, in the past the use of this terminology has been extended to wind flows in passages between buildings, which are non-confined or open flows. In this paper, the wind speed conditions in converging and diverging passages between perpendicular buildings are studied with Computational Fluid Dynamics. The aim is to investigate the extent to which the Venturi-effect contributes to the increased wind speed in the passages. The simulations show that the wind conditions are systematically more severe in diverging than in converging passages, which is opposite to what is generally assumed. It is shown that the term Venturi-effect should be used with caution in building aerodynamics and that it is not always suitable to describe wind flow in passages between buildings.",

author = "Bert Blocken and Ted Stathopoulos and Jan Carmeliet",

year = "2006",

doi = "10.1201/9781003060826",

language = "English",

isbn = "0415416752",

pages = "935--942",

booktitle = "Research in Building Physics and Building Engineering",

publisher = "CRC Press",

note = "3rd International Conference in Building Physics : Research in Building Physics and Building Engineering ; Conference date: 27-08-2006 Through 31-08-2006",

}

Blocken, B, Stathopoulos, T & Carmeliet, J 2006, Urban Building Physics: A CFD study of the Venturi-effect in non-parallel passages between buildings. in Research in Building Physics and Building Engineering: 3rd International Conference in Building Physics (Montreal, Canada, 27-31 August 2006). CRC Press, London, pp. 935-942, 3rd International Conference in Building Physics, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 27/08/06. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003060826

Urban Building Physics: A CFD study of the Venturi-effect in non-parallel passages between buildings. / Blocken, Bert; Stathopoulos, Ted; Carmeliet, Jan.
Research in Building Physics and Building Engineering: 3rd International Conference in Building Physics (Montreal, Canada, 27-31 August 2006). London: CRC Press, 2006. p. 935-942.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

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T1 - Urban Building Physics: A CFD study of the Venturi-effect in non-parallel passages between buildings

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AU - Carmeliet, Jan

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N2 - The Venturi-effect refers to the increase of fluid speed due to a decrease of the flow section. Although it was originally defined for confined flows, in the past the use of this terminology has been extended to wind flows in passages between buildings, which are non-confined or open flows. In this paper, the wind speed conditions in converging and diverging passages between perpendicular buildings are studied with Computational Fluid Dynamics. The aim is to investigate the extent to which the Venturi-effect contributes to the increased wind speed in the passages. The simulations show that the wind conditions are systematically more severe in diverging than in converging passages, which is opposite to what is generally assumed. It is shown that the term Venturi-effect should be used with caution in building aerodynamics and that it is not always suitable to describe wind flow in passages between buildings.

AB - The Venturi-effect refers to the increase of fluid speed due to a decrease of the flow section. Although it was originally defined for confined flows, in the past the use of this terminology has been extended to wind flows in passages between buildings, which are non-confined or open flows. In this paper, the wind speed conditions in converging and diverging passages between perpendicular buildings are studied with Computational Fluid Dynamics. The aim is to investigate the extent to which the Venturi-effect contributes to the increased wind speed in the passages. The simulations show that the wind conditions are systematically more severe in diverging than in converging passages, which is opposite to what is generally assumed. It is shown that the term Venturi-effect should be used with caution in building aerodynamics and that it is not always suitable to describe wind flow in passages between buildings.

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Urban Building Physics: A CFD study of the Venturi-effect in non-parallel passages between buildings

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