Experimental measurement and validation of louvred opening for ventilation

¹ Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
² E.ON Energy Research Center, Institute for Energy Efficient Buildings and Indoor Climate, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

^* Corresponding author: lab@cae.au.dk

Abstract

Natural ventilation is a passive ventilation mode, as it does not require additional energy and is, therefore, very popular in mitigating the overheating of buildings. In residential buildings, natural ventilation is usually facilitated by manual window opening, which can raise concerns about intrusion, rain, and noise. Alternatives can include flaps, louvres, or grills providing environmental protection, such as enhanced acoustic performance and protection against rain, particles, or burglary. Therefore, these components allow the operational hours for ventilative cooling to be extended to the night, periods when occupants are absent, and non-ideal weather conditions during the summer. This study is part of the research on the potential of louvred openings utilised for Danish residential buildings. It aims to generate well-documented experimental data for CFD modelling of louvred openings specifically designed for ventilation. Hence, this study collects experimental data, measuring the velocity profiles, air temperature profiles and surface temperatures in a room equipped with a louvre element designed for ventilation. The experimental data are used to validate a CFD model. Future studies will focus on simplified modelling of the louvre geometry and will also employ the validated model to investigate the influence of changing boundary conditions on thermal comfort during the summer.