Abstract
A series of experiments were carried out using a room model (3m×3m×3m) in order to study surface heat transfer characteristics in a room interior. The first report concerns the characteristics of temperature and natural convection in a non-ventilated room interior. Three Patterns of natural convection were observed in the model room interior : i) the air near the heated side wall rises to the ceiling wall and moves to the opposite cooled side wall along the ceiling wall to fall along the cooled side wall; ii) the air near the heated floor wall rises in the center zone of the room and diffuses radially on the ceiling wall to fall along the four side walls; iii) the air moves reciprocally between the cooled ceiling wall and the heated floor wall. The temperatures of the ceiling and the floor wall surfaces determine the temperature of the side wall surfaces and the vertical distribution of the air temperature, which are thus to be considered relating to each one of the following cases : a) both the ceiling and the floor wall surfaces are cooled or b) heatd or c) the former is cooled with the latter heated or d) vice versa. The gradient of the vertical distribution of the air temperature is the largest in case of d), i. e. when the ceiling wall surface is heated with the floor wall surface cooled and is the smallest in case of c), i. e. when the ceiling wall surface is cooled with the floor wall surface heated.
