Roof Geometry as a Determinant of Thermal Behaviour: A Comparative Study of Vaulted and Flat Surfaces in a Hot-Arid Zone

摘要

The paper presents a quantitative comparison of the relative solar exposure and thermal behaviour patterns of semi-cylindrical and flat roof surfaces under typical conditions in a hot-arid climatic zone, based en results obtained from mathematical and physical models. A review of sources on the subject is followed by a description of the experimental methods used to model solar and thermal effects on the various roof surfaces, and by an analysis of the results obtained from these models.