A simplified approach to predict temperature distributions in a mechanically ventilated atrium using a thermal response factor method

The atrium is one of the most preferred design features in modern large buildings, but the thermal performance of an atrium space is a growing concern. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and field measurements have usually been employed to assess the complex thermal performance in an atrium. However, these conventional approaches require significant effort. This paper presents a simplified approach employing the thermal response factor method for prediction of temperature distribution in a mechanically ventilated atrium. Full scale measurements were performed in an existing atrium building over a summer period and were used for validation of a CFD simulation. As a result, the thermal response factors obtained by the simplified numerical method were applied to predict the thermal behaviours in the mechanically ventilated atrium. Moreover, airflow patterns were identified by Archimedes Number.