Modelling Sustainable Climate Shelters: Analysis of Energy Dynamics and Comfort Index at a Public Transport Stop
摘要
Climate change is triggering adverse impacts on global climate due to alterations in major weather variables. The Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect is manifested as one of the most worrying climate consequences, caused by anthropogenic activities. This phenomenon is characterized by the excessive increase of environmental temperatures compared to nonurban areas, resulting in heat waves more frequent, intense, and long. Additionally, the presence of asphalt materials, as well as heavy urban envelopes, and the uncontrolled expansion of cities contribute negatively to the situation. To address and mitigate the problem, the authors have designed, prototyped, and published the experimental basics of a climate shelter. Using the extensive network of public transport stops present in the cities, they create a new self-sufficient design using two natural radiant cooling techniques. The first of these are surface radiant cooling modules installed on the front and ceiling of the public transport stop, through which cold water circulates. Meanwhile, Falling-Film technology is responsible for cooling the water at night through radiant exchange with the sky. An underground insulated tank stores the coolant for daytime use. This work aims to propose the design bases for the correct urban installation of self-sufficient public transport stops. The goal is to improve the comfort of citizens, promoting the recovery of life in the urban environment. However, given the scarce bibliography of this novel prototype, the authors carry out a digital model to quantify its performance. The public transport stop is tested in different aspect ratios (H/W) of urban canyons. Csa climate (Köppen Heiger) is considered as a reference for having the warmest months between the months of June and September. The microclimate simulation software used is ENVI-met, highlighting the use of its extensive database to model the urban elements present in the design. Leonardo software is responsible for representing the main output data such as surface temperature and incident solar radiation on different surfaces and people. Using TRNSYS software, it is possible to study the energy system of the urban transport stop, considering as main study variables the storage tank capacity and the energy dissipation area of the Falling-Film to cool the fluid. To complete the characterization, we analyze the Heat Load Comfort Index (COMFA) of a person within the prototype, being able to observe an improvement of up to 45% compared to the conventional transport stop.