Wind action and temperature difference effects on the ventilation rate of a two-storey building communicating with the outside environment by a chimney

In this paper a simplified analytical model to predict the ventilation rates, internal pressures and temperatures as influenced by the combined effects of thermal buoyancy and wind action is applied to a simple example of practical importance. It consists of a two-storey building communicating with the outside environment through a semi-opened window at each storey and a common chimney. The rational approach formulation of the problem combines experimental information on pressure distributions due to wind, on pressure drop coefficients of the air circulation through wall openings and on the performance of a chimney as a natural ventilator, with the numerical solution of the thermal and dynamic governing equations. The results emphasize the relative importance of thermal and dynamic variables, including wind incidence and the role of the chimney.