BUILDING SERVICES - III

climatology

CLIMATE AND ITs ELEMENTS

B.Arch

rd 3

Sem.

INDEX
Global climatic factors Elements of climates Classification of tropical climates

Global climatic factors

CLIMATOLOGY

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INDEX

ELEVATION OR ALTITUDE EFFECT CLIMATE Climate changes with increase or decrese in altitude. PREVAILING GLOBAL WIND PATTERNS There are 3 major wind patterns found in the Northern Hemisphere and also 3 in the Southern Hemisphere. These are average conditions and do not essentially reveal conditions on a particular day. As seasons change, the wind patterns shift north or south. So does the intertropical convergence zone, which moves back and forth across the Equator. Sailors called this zone the doldrums because its winds are normally weak.

Global climatic factors Elements of climates Classification of tropical climates

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climatology

 LATITUDE AND ANGLES OF THE SUNS RAYS As the Earth circles the sun, the tilt of its axis causes changes in the angle of which suns rays contact the earth and hence changes the daylight hours at different latitudes. Polar regions experience the greatest variation, with long periods of limited or no sunlight in winter and up to 24 hours of daylight in the summer.

TOPOGRAPHY The Topography of an area can greatly influence our climate. Mountain ranges are natural barriers to air movement. In costal areas, winds off the ocean carry moisture-laden air toward the coast. The Coastal Range allows for some condensation and light precipitation. Inland, the taller Plateau range rings more significant precipitation in the air. On the eastern slopes of the Deccan plateau, sinking air warms from compression, clouds evaporate, and dry conditions prevail.

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 EFFECTS OF GEOGRAPHY The position of a town, city or place and its distance from mountains and substantial areas of water help determine its prevailing wind patterns and what types of air masses affect it. Coastal areas may enjoy refreshing breezes in summer, when cooler ocean air moves ashore. In spring and summer, people in eastern ghats watch for thunderstorms, these storms are caused where three types of air masses frequently converge: cold and dry from the north, warm and dry from the southwest, and warm and moist from the Bay of Bengal- these colliding air masses often generate storms.

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climatology

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SURFACE OF THE EARTH Just look at any globe or a world map showing land cover, and you will see another important factor which has a influence on climate: the surface of the Earth. The amount of sunlight that is absorbed or reflected by the surface determines how much atmospheric heating occurs. Darker areas, such as heavily vegetated regions, tend to be good absorbers; lighter areas, such as snow and ice-covered regions, tend to be good reflectors. The ocean absorbs and loses heat more slowly than land. Its waters gradually release heat into the atmosphere, which then distributes heat around the globe.

 Climate change over time Cold and warm periods punctuate Earths long history. Some were fairly short; others spanned hundreds of thousands of years. In some cold periods, glaciers grew and spread over large regions. In subsequent warm periods, the ice retreated. Each period profoundly affected plant and animal life.

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Since the turn of the 20th century, temperatures have been rising steadily throughout the world. But it is not yet clear how much of this global warming is due to natural causes and how much derives from human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and the clearing of forests.

INDEX
Global climatic factors Elements of climates Classification of tropical climates

Elements of climates

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CLIMATOLOGY

 ELEMENT OF CLIMATE: TEMPERATURE HUMIDITY VAPOUR PRESSURE PRECIPITATION SKY CONDITION SOLAR RADIATIONS WIND FLOW & WIND INTENSITY VEGITATION

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 TEMPERATURE : Measured in C (degree Celsius) Measured for dry air with the means of simple Mercury thermometer. DRY BULB/ TRUE TEMPERATURE: The dry-bulb temperature is the temperature of air measured by a thermometer freely exposed to the air but shielded from radiation and moisture. Dry bulb temperature is the temperature that is usually thought of as air temperature, and it is the true thermodynamic temperature. It is the temperature measured by a regular thermometer exposed to the airstream. Unlike wet bulb temperature, dry bulb temperature does not indicate the amount of moisture in the air. In construction, it is an important consideration when designing a building for a certain climate.

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WET BULB/ TRUE TEMPERATURE: The wet-bulb temperature is a type of temperature measurement that reflects the physical properties of a system with a mixture of a gas and a vapour, usually air and water vapour. Wet bulb temperature is the lowest temperature that can be reached by the evaporation of water only. It is the temperature one feels when one's skin is wet and is exposed to moving air. Unlike dry bulb temperature, wet bulb temperature is an indication of the amount of moisture in the air. Wet-bulb temperature can have several technical meanings: Thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature: the temperature a volume of air would have if cooled adiabatically to saturation at constant pressure by evaporation of water into it, all latent heat being supplied by the volume of air. The temperature read from a wet bulb thermometer Adiabatic wet-bulb temperature: the temperature a volume of air would have if cooled adiabatically to saturation and then compressed BACK TO HOME adiabatically to the original pressure in a moist-adiabatic process . PAGE climatology

HUMIDITY: Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapour in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapour and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture, called the Absolute humidity. In everyday usage, it commonly refers to relative humidity, expressed as a percent in weather forecasts and on household humidity status; it is so called because it measures the current absolute humidity relative to the maximum. Specific humidity is a ratio of the water vapour content of the mixture to the dry air content (on a mass basis). The water vapour content of the mixture can be measured either as mass per volume or as a partial pressure, depending on the usage. Measured in g/Kg or g/m3 (degree Celsius) Measured by instrument called DRY & WET BULB HYGROMETRE

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A hygrometer is a device used for measuring the humidity of the air

RALATIVE HUMIDITY: It is the ratio of actual amount of moisture present, to that amount of moisture the air can hold at a given temperature and is expressed in %.

RH=AH/ SH X 100(%)
climatology RH= RELATIVE HUMIDITY AH= ABSOLUTE HUMIDITY SH= SATURATION POINT HUMIDITY

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ABSOLUTE HUMIDITY: Absolute humidity on a heat basis is the mass of water in the unit volume of air. The most common units are grams per cubic meter, although any mass unit and any volume unit could be used. If all the water vapour in one cubic meter of air were condensed into a container, the mass of the water in the container could be measured with a scale to determine absolute humidity. The amount of water vapour in that cube of air is the absolute humidity of that cubic meter of air. More technically, absolute humidity on a volume basis is the mass of dissolved water vapour, mw, per cubic meter of total moist air, Vnet:

climatology

AH=

m (by volume)/

V (net)

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 Absolute humidity ranges from 0 grams per cubic meter in dry air to 30 grams per cubic meter (0.03 ounce per cubic foot) when the vapour is saturated at 30 C. The absolute humidity changes as air pressure changes. This is very inconvenient for architectural engineering calculations, e.g. For rooms, where temperature can vary considerably. climatology BACK TO HOME PAGE

SATURATION POINT HUMIDITY / SPECIFIC HUMIDITY: Specific humidity is the ratio of water vapour to dry air in a particular mass, and is sometimes referred to as absolute humidity or humidity ratio. Specific humidity ratio is expressed as a ratio of kilograms of water vapour, mv , per kilogram of dry air ma . That ratio is defined as:

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climatology

SH=

m (by volume)/

m (mass of air)

EFFECT OF HUMIDTY: HUMAN COMFORT: Humans control their body temperature mainly by sweating and shivering. At high humidity, sweating is less effective, and we feel hotter. At low humidity, the risk for nosebleeds increases, especially during cold winter seasons. Some people experience difficulty breathing in high humidity environments. Some cases may possibly be related to respiratory conditions such as asthma, while others may be the product of anxiety. - Air conditioning works by reducing humidity in summer. - In winter, heating cold outdoor air can decrease relative humidity levels indoor to below 30%, leading to discomfort such as dry skin and excessive thirst.

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EFFECT OF HUMIDTY: BUILDING CONSTRUCTION: Traditional building designs typically had weak insulation, and it allowed air moisture to flow freely between the interior and exterior. The energyefficient, heavily-sealed architecture introduced in the 20th century also sealed off the movement of moisture, and this has resulted in a secondary problem of condensation forming in and around walls, which encourages the development of mold and mildew. climatology Additionally, buildings with foundations not properly sealed will allow water to flow through the walls due to capillary action of pores found in masonry products. Solutions for energy-efficient buildings that avoid condensation are a current topic of architecture.

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VAPOUR PRESSURE: It is the partial pressure of water vapour present in the air. The atmospheric pressure (P) is the sum of the partial pressure of dry air (Pa) & the partial vapour pressure (Pv) :

P= Pa+Pv
climatology The air is saturated when the P v = the pressure of saturated vapour presure of the same temperature (Pvs) . Relative humidity can also be expressed as the ratio of actual vapour pressure to the SATURATION POINT VAPOUR PRESSURE .

P= AH/SH X100 = Pv / Pvs X 100(%)

VP is measured in pressure unit : N/ m 2

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 Humidity data is basically used to state the futur eclimatic condition of a specific location , as it is used to predict the : - Monsoon trend - Amount of precipitation

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SKY CONDITIONS: It is the PRESENCE/ ABSENCE of clouds in the sky.

On an average two observations are made per day: DURING DAY DURING NIGHT
It is expressed in % of the sky hemisphere is covered by the clouds. climatology IMPORTANCE: Sky luminance values are needed if daylighting in buildings is to be predicted.

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SOLAR RADIATIONS: A simple sunshine recorded during the day time which is expressed in NUMBER OF HOURS/ DAY , as an average for each month. Average Daily Amounts of Solar Radiations for each month of year would give a fair indication of climatic conditions, including seasonal variations. climatology BACK TO HOME PAGE

WIND FLOW AND WIND INTENSITY: Air movement is affected by the following:

Differences in air pressure as air moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.
Differences in temperature o Thermal buoyancy- describes the action of air as it is heated. Because heated air is less dense it rises, moving from a cool, high-density area to ward a warm, low-density area.

o Convection currents- The movement of cooler air moving in to replace rising warm air will establish convection currents any place in the building in which temperature differentials exist, with main areas of concern being the living space and attics. Supply and return registers are key points of temperature differentials and also key points of pressure differences caused by heating and cooling system hair handlers. BACK TO HOME PAGE

climatology

VEGITATION: The picture of climate is totally incomplete without some notes on the character and abundance of plant life. Vegetation generally influence the LOCAL/ SITE CLIMATE.

It is an important element in the design of out-door spaces , providing sunshade and protection of glare.
climatology This may include: - LOCAL SPECIES - LIFE SPAN - SHAPE. COLOUR AND FOILAGE - HEIR TIME OF LEAVES SHEDDING.

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THE QUESTIONORE ?

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CLIMATOLOGY