A wind tunnel experiment and CFD analysis on airflow performance of enclosed-arcade markets in Korea

Many traditional markets, which had previously formed along the streets, have been remodeled into arcade-type malls in Korea to reduce the inconveniences due to rain. The markets that used to be exposed to outside air have become a semi-open space. Therefore sufficient natural ventilation has become an important environmental factor to make the marketplace more comfortable and healthy. The objective of this study is to analyze the ventilation performance of enclosed-arcade markets by using wind tunnel experiment and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to provide useful design information for designers of market arcades. The scaled model was used for the wind tunnel experiment, which was conducted to verify the reliability of the CFD method. Eleven design alternatives according to the market structure and arcade design were suggested, and their performances were evaluated as air-exchange rate by using the validated CFD simulations. The ventilation performance of the enclosed-arcade market is greatly affected by the height of the surrounding buildings determining the market structure. In addition, the roof type and the height of the arcade, and ventilation opening are also important.