Abstract

The heating and air-conditioning energy demand of skyscrapers with atria between buildings is explored. Radiation, conduction, convection, and ventilation were evaluated to determine annual heating and cooling energy demands for a 100-building city located in Provo, Utah. Spreadsheets models were developed and calibrated with a computational fluid dynamics model. Three spreadsheet model cases were examined: a baseline no-atrium case, a conditioned atrium case, and an unconditioned atrium case. The energy demands and atrium temperatures were compared between the different cases. The research concludes that atria can be used between buildings to reduce the heating and cooling energy demands. The exposed surface area of the city was reduced by 73.7%. This resulted in a 49.7% reduction in heating and cooling energy consumption for the unconditioned atrium case and a 16.0% reduction in energy consumption for the conditioned atrium case.

Degree

College and Department

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology; Civil and Environmental Engineering

Rights

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