Analysis of solar radiation and sol-air temperatures on curved envelopes of air-supported membrane buildings

Air-supported membrane (ASM) envelopes, characterized by their curved shape and energy-saving, carbon-reducing advantages, have found widespread applications in gymnasiums, exhibition halls and industrial warehouses. However, in the cooling load calculations of ASM buildings, the existing Sol-Air temperatures, which assume uniform solar irradiance received by the envelope at different locations in a given orientation, fails to accurately depict the impact of solar radiation on the heat transfer of curved envelops, leading to inaccuracies in cooling load calculation. To address this gap, this paper develops a simplified mathematical model capable of quantifying the amount of solar irradiance received by curved envelopes of ASM buildings without simulation, and reveals the laws of solar irradiance received by the ASM envelope at different times and spaces. Finally, new Sol-Air temperatures were proposed for use in cooling load calculations specifically for ASM buildings. Results confirmed the accuracy of the developed mathematical model with an error margin within 8.6 %. The solar irradiance received by ASM envelopes can deviate up to 40.1 % and 68.6 % when compared to horizontal and vertical surfaces respectively. The new Sol-Air temperatures are instrumental for precise heat transfer calculations in ASM envelopes, reducing the error by 19.9 %−27.8 %. Hence, this study provides valuable references for improving the calculation methods of ASM buildings cooling load.