MAPUA UNIVERSITY

1st Quarter 2019-20

AR 152 TROPICAL DESIGN

Module .0
WIND PART 2
PRINCIPLES OF AIRFLOW

1. Air flows from high pressure area to a low pressure area.

When wind meets an object, like building or hill, it creates a high
pressure zone of increased velocity on the windward *side of the
object or building.
*Windward : the side the wind is blowing toward.
Venturi Effect: wind is accelerated when constricted. When wind flows
through gap between buildings, or through saddles between tow
knolls, or when it is channelized by flowing parallel to the ridges of the
canyon.
Wind diverted by a landform will increase in turbulence and decrease
in velocity behind the obstruction.
2. air possesses inertia. Air continue to move in the same direction until
when it meets an obstruction.

3. air flows through the path of least resistance. Air is slower near the surface
of the earth and higher in the atmosphere.
 AIR FLOW NEAR BODIES OF WATER
Near bodies of water, the breeze blows off the water toward the land during the day.
The land heats up more rapidly than the water causing the air over the land to rise
and be replaced by the air from over the water. At night the flow is reversed. The
breeze blowing from the land, which has cooled more rapidly than the water, to the
water, which is relatively warmer than the land, as the air over it rises an is replaced
by the cooler air from over the land.
AIR FLOW IN VALLEYS
In valleys, the wind blows uphill during the day because the sun warms the air causing
it to rise. Upward currents form on sunny slopes in the morning. By midday, upvalley
winds follow ascending valley floors. At night, the air flow reverses because the cold
ground surfaces cool the surrounding air, making it heavier and causing it to flow down
the valley, beginning with flows down the valley wall.
WIND DATA BANKING
Wind rose can be used to characterize the direction, speed, and frequency of the wind
In a particular location by month and year.
Wind square. Represents the patterns of wind direction and the speed by time of day
and month of year for a particular location.
 GLOBAL AIR MOVEMENTS

Rays of the sun heats the equator directly receiving more radiation than the polar
regions. Hot air from the equator travel to cooler regions. In reverse, cooler air from
polar areas and the cycle is completed.
Coriolis Force- the rotation of the earth deflects the air from ifs direct path.
North of reference, the rotation of the earth is counter clockwise,-the motion of wind
is to the right of its intended path- in northern hemisphere and the reverse in southern
hemispheres
 MONSOONS-Arabic word meaning season, seasonal
wind

Northeast monsoon- amihan - from Pacific ocean; sometimes easterly or

northerly wind. Affects the Philippines in October as weak stream, maximum
at January, and finally disappears in April. Temperature at 25º C at 1.5 km
Southwest monsoon-habagat- from Indian Ocean, also known as
summer monsoon, or Indian southwesterlies. Arriving in the
Philippines as southwesterlies, from May, attains its maximum in
August and disappear in October. Habagat is very humid with 25.5º C to
27.5 25.5º C and humidity of 70% near the surface.
EFFECT OF LANDSCAPE
•Hedges and shrubs deflect air away from inlets and cause reduction in air
motion indoors. These should not be planted at a distance of more than 2 to 3
meters from the building.
•Air movement in the leeward part of the building can be enhanced by planting a
low hedge at a distance of 2 meters from the building.
•Trees with large foliage mass having trunk based of branches up to the top level
of the window deflect the outdoor wind downward and promote air motion in
the habitable zones of the building.
•A hedge located between a tree and a building obstruct wind flow and reduces
indoor air motion but a tree located between a hedge and a building intensifies
air motion in the leeward portion of a room though it decreases indoor air
motion near the inlet opening.
Trees and shrubs can also be used effectively to channel air laterally into close corners
or secluded pockets.
They can be used to created high and low pressure areas to aid in the movement of air
along predetermined paths.
PLAN SHAPES
L-shape- air motion can be enhanced by facing the inner sides of the wings of the L-
shape building towards the oblique wind. Wind perpendicular to the longitudinal
wing at the windward side promotes indoor air motion by about 20% in the central
region. Increase in length of the side wing helps promote indoor air motion over the
greater area of the building.
U-Shape- increasing the length of the connecting wing increases the air motion in
the parallel wings. Indoor air motion is also induced if the incident wind is parallel to
the channel formed by the longer wings for wind incident at 45º. The indoor
motion is not only reduced in the leeward wing but in the windward wing as
well. This due to the obstruction of the wind flow between the wings that lead
to the development of high pressure on the leeward face of the wind facing
the block.
H-Shape- plans are self-shielding and do not conduce to the induction of air
movement indoors. Whether wind is incident normally or obliquely on the
parallel wings, the parallel wings shield the remaining part of the building so
that very little air motion is induced in the wings.
T-Shape- form helps promote air motion only in a limited part of the building.
As compared to H-shape plan. T-shape plan induces a higher indoor air
movement for obliquely incident wind.
TROPICAL DESIGN
WIND
COMPILED BY: Ma. Socorro A. Gacutan
References:
Sun, Wind and Light by GZ Brown and Mark de Kay
Passive Cooling By Geronimo Manahan
8/16/09