Effect of internal partition walls on shear ventilation in an isolated three-story building: a comparison with pumping ventilation

Shear ventilation (SV) is a special single-sided ventilation (SSV) that significantly increases the air exchange volume of unilateral ventilation. According to the current state of research, few study considered the impact of internal partitions on shear ventilation. This research aims to examine the influence of different internal partition layouts on the ventilation efficiency of SV using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The ventilation performance of SV and PV (Pumping ventilation) was compared. Three partition parameters studied in this study were widths (w/H), heights (h/H), and locations (d/H). The mean and fluctuating ventilation rates of PV both show a downward trend with increasing width, which is different from the trend of SV. Specifically, the mean ventilation rate of SV reaches its maximum at w/H = 50%, while the fluctuating ventilation rate of SV peaks at w/H = 0%. Regarding the influence of partition height, the mean ventilation rate of SV increases and reaches its maximum value at h/H = 100% as the height increases, which is opposite to the trend of PV. Notably, the fluctuating ventilation rates of SV and PV follow similar trends, both peaking at h/H = 75%, while they are lower than the mean ventilation rate of SV. The mean ventilation rate of SV decreases as the partition is displaced from the opening, with a maximum at d/H = 0%. The fluctuating ventilation rate of SV peaks at d/H = 20%, while the fluctuating ventilation rate of PV reaches a minimum value. In conclusion, under the same partition layout, the mean ventilation rate of SV is higher than that of PV, whereas the fluctuating ventilation rate of SV is lower than that of PV. Furthermore, the optimal ventilation configuration occurs at w/H = 50%, h/H = 100%, and d/H = 0%. The results of this study will provide guidance of the internal partition design for higher single-sided ventilation efficiency in buildings.