3D Heat Transfer Analysis in Architectural Modeling

Maryam Almaian

Abstract

As the global focus on sustainable building practices intensifies, architects face the challenge of designing structures that meet certain aesthetic and functional criteria while minimizing energy consumption. One critical aspect of achieving energy-efficient buildings is the selection of appropriate building materials with optimal thermal properties.

The tools and software to simulate 2D heat transfer are available, but often limited in their set of features and cost-prohibitive. The limitations of 2D heat transfer are the inability to simulate and explore complex geometry, corners, and full building envelope analysis. The integration of 3D thermal performance analysis into the architectural design process is an even more complex and underdeveloped area.

This thesis aims to address this gap by exploring the use of OpenFOAM to develop a user-friendly tool to simulate building-related heat transfer problems. The outcomes of this thesis aim to empower architects to make informed decisions about material selection, and their impact on energy efficiency, by seamlessly embedding it into the Rhino & Grasshopper CAD environment.

Presentation

Accompanying Conference Paper Presentation

Author

  • Name: Maryam Almaian

  • LinkedIn: Link

  • Institution: Georgia Institute of Technology

  • Program: M.S. ARCH (High Performance Buildings)

  • Advisor: Dr. Patrick Kastner

Repository Structure

  • Code/: Directory containing the code, scripts, or notebooks used in the research.

  • LaTeX/: Directory containing all LaTeX source files to compile the thesis.

  • README.md: This file, providing an overview of the thesis and repository.

Keywords

3D Heat Transfer, OpenFOAM 2306, Conjugate Heat Transfer, Thermal Bridging, Rhinoceros & Grasshopper, Parametric Architecture

Citation


@mastersthesis{almaian2024heat,

  title = {3D Heat Transfer Analysis in Architectural Modeling: A Case Study with OpenFOAM},

  author = {Almaian, Maryam},

  year = {2024},

  school = {Georgia Institute of Technology},

  type = {MS Thesis}

}

Source

Link to this repository.