Numerical and experimental study of urban geometry’s control of wind movements in outdoor spaces. Case of a humid climate

Abstract

Many studies have shown the impact of urban geometry on thermal comfort in outdoor spaces, but few of them have addressed the control of adverse wind effects in urban humid areas. This work deals with this specific context. It aims to highlight the role of the geometry of urban spaces in the control of the wind, mainly in the city of Jijel (Algeria), where wind is the essential element to be reckoned with. It is shown concretely into in-situ measurement campaigns (taken in winter 2016 and summer 2017) during which microclimatic parameters were recorded simultaneously for tow case studies with distinct geometries spaces between the U-shaped and L-shaped buildings. More precisely, the first step is to identify the most important geometrical parameters and then describe the wind behaviour by numerical simulation with the help of the “Envi-met V4” software. The results show that the H/w ratio is the geometrical parameter to take into account in order to control the wind.