Short report for MEGS travel grant
Pei-Chun Liu, Department of Architecture and Built Environment
13th International Conference on Wind Engineering, July 10-15, 2011
•
A summary of the conference’s focus and aims
ICWE 13 covers a wide range of key research areas with the goal of simultaneously
improving design solutions in wind engineering and wind energy. It is hoped to encourage
specialists on wind energy and wind engineering disciplines to meet and share their findings.
The field ranges from applied meteorology, fluid dynamics, wind energy, civil engineering
and city planning to design of cladding and roofing. The objectives of the conference
response to the aims of the MEGS society which is to deliver a mix of both specialist
knowledge and multidisciplinary technology for energy related issues. Lots of innovative
ideas and state-of-the-art issues were generated in this conference. By establishing the
networking in these fields, I did have more international exploration and research outreach.

Key outcomes of the event
The conference was intended to gather researchers and engineering consultants who
would share the latest results of research and successful case studies in the field of wind
related issues. Contributions of this conference included discussion of new data, methods
and tools as well as design solutions in wind engineering. Experimental and numerical
techniques were discussed, such as wind tunnel research, full scale measurements and
computational fluid dynamics techniques and applications.
The context of my work is the search for alternatives to conventional air-conditioning for tall
office buildings of a hot and humid climate. The central hypothesis of this study is that, by
appropriate natural ventilation strategies, building design will be able to reduce energy
consumption and provide comfortable conditions in tall office buildings. Practical
experience on natural ventilation system design of tall buildings is crucial for developing my
conceptual models. During the event, I obtained some constructive feedbacks from experts
in academia and industry to ensure the feasibility of the proposed design. Also, this
conference was a platform for researchers to exchange the scientific knowledge and
experience on practical engineering solutions with other experts in the field of natural
ventilation.

The level and nature of industrial/non-academic involvement
ICWE 13 is a premier international conference series. It is held only once every four
years and therefore allows for substantial progress to have been made between meetings.
This conference was organised by the Dutch-Flemish Wind Engineering Association and was
in close cooperation with the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) and the European
Academy of Wind Energy (EAWE). Scientists, academicians, technologists, architects and
engineers from all over the world met to tackle new challenges regarding sustainability and
wind climate. It is the forum to present new knowledge of wind engineering and wind
energy and to exchange experience.
1
Short report for MEGS travel grant
Pei-Chun Liu, Department of Architecture and Built Environment

Your analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the conference
This was a great opportunity to present my work to audiences of the same research
field and the broader building service sector. It was beneficial for my early stage research
career in terms of knowledge transfer and personal networking. Also, this conference was a
good start to self development and future career progression. However, the poster section
of the conference was not well organized. It was difficult to find the author for further
discussion on their work. It might be due to the scale of the conference and the limited time
available.
•
Specific benefits obtained from attending the conference
The ICWE 13 conference covered a range of topics related to tall buildings and wind
energy. I had the opportunity to meet leading researchers and scientists worldwide and
exchange knowledge with experts in the field of natural ventilation. It was an excellent
opportunity for me to gain presentation skills and learn about state-of-the-art ideas carried
out by other researchers. Discussions of future challenges and opportunities in improving
environmental design issues were also beneficial for my future research career. Other
academic merits obtained from this conference were summarized as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
Participation in a dynamic international forum
Exchanging ideas with leading experts from industry and academia
Keeping up-to-date with the latest advances in wind engineering technologies
Presenting research and ideas in a professional atmosphere
Potential to collaborate with international experts from around the world.
2