Passive Energy Design for Schools in the Constantine Region of Algeria

Bouchahm, Guermia (1987) Passive Energy Design for Schools in the Constantine Region of Algeria. Master of Architecture thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to investigate the potential for passive thermal design techniques to preheat and cool school buildings, with emphasis on opaque/ transparent shell design and ventilation characteristics. The educational policy and the current need for school buildings which accommodate a particualr use during a predetermined period of the day and year, present special problems - winter preheating and summer cooling - in relation to the part Mediterranean part Saharan influenced climate. It provides a favourable subject for the use of passive solar or climate sensitive design with reference to window sizing, shadings and orientation together with transmittance, capacitance, response and ventilation characteristics. In order to quantify the influence of these parameters, it is necessary to analyse both daily and seasonal heating and cooling loads, taking into account cyclical thermal behaviour. The model for analysis is a classroom in a typical modern school with two exposed walls - north-east, relatively unshaded and south-west, protected by an overhang which at the same time roofs an open corridor. Standard admittance and thermal time constant procedure has been used on a micro computer to predict monthly mean daily equivalent external temperature profiles. The programme contains subroutines to calculate the thermal transmittance (U-value), decrement factor, admittance value and time lag for multilayer construction. Sinusoidally generated solar resource data, together with estimated incidental or casual gains determine 'heating' and 'cooling' base temperatures at the upper and lower limits of a comfort band. These enable estimates of residual heating/cooling loads required during both unoccupied and occupied periods, based on a simple temperature differential, base temperature minus equivalent external temperature, which takes into account dynamic thermal behaviour. The study showed that there is no need to heat during the occupied period even during the heating season, whereas heating is required during the unoccupied or the preheating period. With respect to cooling, it also showed the ineffectiveness of summer cross-ventilation due to high external air temperature, even with the application of maximum shading measures, The conclusion was that mass storage in conjuction with a passive solar thermosiphon loop could avoid winter overheating and fulfil the morning preheat demand, while summer cooling could be met using the same store and delivery system, but separate passive cool air intake and hot exhaust.

• Item Type: Thesis (Master of Architecture)
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Keywords: Architecture
• Date of Award: 1987
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1987-77577
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 14 Jan 2020 11:53
• Last Modified: 14 Jan 2020 11:53
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/77577