ABSTRACT
Accurate modelling of the optical, thermodynamic and fluid dynamic behaviour of glass double façades offers considerable benefits to building engineers because this type of façade is finding increasing use in commercial buildings. Total solar energy transmittance into the adjacent room and temperatures of the inner pane are of principal interest with regard to the cooling load of the building and thermal comfort of its occupants during summertime. Therefore, the procedure for modelling such façades – comprising a spectral optical and a transient 2D computational fluid dynamic model – is described in this article. Simulated results are compared with data derived from an experimental investigation of a mechanically ventilated glass double façade built in an outdoor test facility.
