📄 Sciences Methods and Technologies
International Journal (SciMeTech)

Volume 2 · Issue 1 · 2026
ISSN: 3085-5284
Improving indoor comfort through a numerical method for the energy efficiency of sustainable buildings
Elmehdi Belkhalfi, Said Benkirane, Azidine Guezaz
Pages 61–74 · LaRTID Laboratory, Higher School of Technology of Essaouira / Cadi Ayyad University (UCA) - Marrakech, Morocco
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Abstract
Essaouira, a coastal city in Morocco, is exposed to a persistent north-northeasterly trade wind with an average speed of 5.5 meters per second at 10 meters above ground level. This study numerically compares the aerodynamic behavior of two different patio designs subjected to these wind conditions. The first configuration, designated as Configuration A, consists of a closed rectangular patio with solid walls rising to 3 meters in height and a single roof opening of 2 square meters. The second configuration, Configuration B, is a double-height patio with walls extending to 6 meters, equipped with horizontal louvers inclined at 30 degrees and providing a void fraction of 50 percent. An unsteady three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics simulation is carried out using the k-w SST turbulence model to capture the temporal evolution of the flow field. The fluid motion is governed by four fundamental equations: the continuity equation for mass conservation, the momentum equation for force balance, the transport equation for turbulent kinetic energy, and the transport equation for the specific dissipation rate. A rectangular measurement region of exactly 3,249.89 square centimeters is defined at a height of 1.50 meters above the floor, positioned at the center of each patio. The objective of this study is to determine which of the two patio configurations provides a lower and more comfortable wind speed in the occupied zone, in accordance with established wind comfort criteria.
Keywords: ESSAOUIRA, wind comfort, patio, unsteady CFD, louvers

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SciMeTech · Volume 2, Issue 1 · 2026 · ISSN 3085-5284