Cross ventilation is a natural phenomenon where wind, fresh air, or a breeze enters through an opening, such as a window, and flows directly through the space and exits through an opening on the opposite side of the building. Cross ventilation is a form of natural ventilation that allows wind to enter one side of a room and out another. It is a wind-driven effect in which air is drawn into the building on the high-pressure windward side and is drawn out of the building on the low-pressure leeward side. Cross ventilation is a horizontal process that is driven by pressure differences between the windward and leeward sides of the occupied indoor environment.
Cross ventilation is a natural method of cooling that can decrease or even obviate the need for an air-conditioner and can improve indoor air quality. It is one of the most effective ways of naturally cooling a house and helps remove odors and moisture, which create mold in your house. Cross ventilation works well in climates with hotter temperatures, where the system allows continual changes of the air within the building, refreshing it and reducing the temperature inside the structure.
The effectiveness of cross ventilation depends on the direction in which the window blows, the size of the inlet and outlet areas, and the balance between them. The amount of heat removed from a facility is directly affected by the inlet and outlet areas. If the inlet and outlet areas are large, then more air can travel through, meaning more heat can be removed. The effectiveness of the ventilation would be impeded if the inlet area were more significant than the outlet area. Cross ventilation will not be efficacious if the windows are more than 12m apart and if a window is behind a door that is regularly shut.
Cross ventilation is generally only suitable for narrow buildings, and the contrasting height of the openings (walls, sill, panels, or furniture) ordered by the space also immediately influences the level and velocity of ventilation. If there are windows on both sides, then cross ventilation might be suitable for buildings where the width is up to five times the floor-to-ceiling height. Where there are only openings on one side, wind-driven ventilation might be suitable for buildings where the width is up to 2.5 times the floor to ceiling height.
In conclusion, cross ventilation is a natural method of cooling that allows wind to enter one side of a room and out another. It is a wind-driven effect in which air is drawn into the building on the high-pressure windward side and is drawn out of the building on the low-pressure leeward side. Cross ventilation is generally only suitable for narrow buildings and works well in climates with hotter temperatures. The effectiveness of cross ventilation depends on the direction in which the window blows, the size of the inlet and outlet areas, and the balance between them.
