Coupled numerical simulations of cooling potential due to evaporation in a street canyon and an urban public square

The extent and duration of evaporative cooling, as a countermeasure to the urban heat island effect, depend on factors such as moisture availability and material liquid capacity and permeability. The present study investigates the evaporative-cooling potential of conventional urban materials and green surfaces using two case studies: an isolated street canyon and a historical public square in the city of Zurich with a particular focus on pedestrian thermal comfort. The numerical model couples computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of wind flow with the heat and moisture transport (HAM) in urban materials in order to resolve storage and transport in urban settings. This way, we aim to provide a framework for the development of sustainable and resilient solutions for local heat islands.ISSN:1742-6588ISSN:1742-659