Effect of solar chimney inclination angle on space flow pattern and ventilation rate

The solar chimney is a simple and practical idea that is applied to enhance space natural ventilation. The chimney could be vertical or inclined. The chimney inclination angle is an important parameter that greatly affects space flow pattern and ventilation rate.In the present study, the effect of chimney inclination angle on air change per hour and indoor flow pattern was numerically and analytically investigated. A numerical simulation using Ansys, a FEM-based code, was used to predict flow pattern. Then the results were compared with published experimental measurements. A FORTRAN program was developed to iteratively solve the mathematical model that was obtained through an overall energy balance on the solar chimney.The analytical results showed that an optimum air flow rate value was achieved when the chimney inclination is between 45° and 70° for latitude of 28.4°. The numerically predicted flow pattern inside the space supports this finding. Moreover, in the present study a correlation to predict the air change per hour was developed. The correlation was tested within a solar intensity greater than or equal to 500 W/m², and chimney width from 0.1 m to 0.35 m for different inclination angles with acceptable values.     

太阳能强化烟囱技术在强化室内自然通风中的研究进展

详细阐述了研究背景、技术原理、研究进展以及研究意义。在总结国内外学者在该领域的主要研究方法和成果的基础上,指出了目前存在的问题。结合当前我国室内通风设计的现状,给出了富有建设性的意见。     

太阳能烟囱结构对通风效果影响的数值研究

采用Realizable K-ε湍流模型和DO辐射模型对太阳能烟囱内部的流场和温度场进行了数值模拟,计算结果与文献中实验值吻合得较好。对太阳能烟囱高度和宽度等结构因素对通风效果的影响进行了模拟分析,结果表明,诱导风量随烟囱高度增大而增大,随宽度增大先增大后减小;Gr可作为设计太阳能烟囱高度时的参考;渐缩型通道能有效防止通道内回流的产生。     

Solar chimney—A passive strategy for natural ventilation

Passive ventilation systems are being increasingly proposed as an alternate to mechanical ventilation systems because of their potential benefits in terms of operational cost, energy requirement and carbon dioxide emission. Solar chimney is an excellent passive ventilation system which relies on natural driving force, that is, the energy from the sun. A significant amount of research work has been done on solar chimney since the 1990s. This article presents an overview of solar chimney research that has taken place in the last two decades. The review focuses on two main areas of research - the effects of geometry and inclination angle on the ventilation performance of a solar chimney. The experimental investigations of solar chimney have dominated the existing literature. However, numerical modelling of solar chimney using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique has attracted increasing attention. Moreover, this review found that solar chimney as a passive ventilation strategy has not been fully understood.     

Reduced-scale building model and numerical investigations to buoyancy-driven natural ventilation

Similarities of a reduced-scale building model using air as the working fluid for buoyancy-driven natural ventilation have been analyzed and experiments were carried out using the scaled model for a common natural ventilation building, which has open office floor plans connected to a central atrium. Both open and closed cases have been investigated for the stack vents, located at the top of the atrium. Inputs for the scaled building model were taken from results measured in the prototype building by the authors. The parameters of the scaled building model's experiments thus were used as inputs into a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation model to compare predicted and measured airflow patterns, temperatures and velocity distributions in the scaled building model.     

Application of passive cooling systems in the hot and humid climate: The case study of solar chimney and wetted roof in Thailand

The thermal performance of two passive cooling systems under hot and humid climate condition is experimentally investigated. The experimental results were obtained from a test cell and a controlled cell with identical walls but different roof configurations. The passive cooling systems applied to the test cell are solar chimney and water spraying on roof. The experimental results obtained from the test cell are compared with the closed and no passive cooling controlled cell. In addition, the significant of solar-induced ventilation by using a solar chimney is realized by utilizing a wind shield to reduce the effect of wind-induced ventilation resulting in low measured air velocities to the solar chimney and low computed value of coefficient of discharge. The derived coefficient of discharge of 0.4 is used to compute Air Changes rates per Hour (ACH). The ACHs with application of solar chimney solely are found to be in the range of 0.16–1.98. The studies of air temperature differences between the room and the solar chimney suggest amount of air flow rates for different periods in a year. The derived relationships show that the air flow rate during February–March is higher than during June–October by 16.7–53.7%. The experimental results show that application of the solar chimney in the test cell could maintain the room temperature at 31.0–36.5 °C, accounting for 1.0–3.5 °C lower than the ambient air and 1.0–1.3 °C lower than the controlled cell. However, to make the test cell's room temperature much lower than the ambient temperature and increase the flow rate of air due to the buoyancy, the application of water spraying on roof is recommended together with solar chimney. The application of the two systems in the hot and humid climate are discovered to sustain the room temperature of the test cell to be lower than the ambient air by 2.0–6.2 °C and lower than the controlled cell by 1.4–3.0 °C.     

Experimental and numerical study of room airflow under stratum ventilation

This paper investigates the air movement, air temperature profile and gaseous contaminant transportation in an individual office with stratum ventilation. The room temperature is elevated compared with conventional standards. The experimental investigation is carried out in an environmental chamber with the presence of heat generating rectangles used to simulate an occupant and a computer. Measurements of temperature, velocity, and CO₂ concentration are carried out for nine plumb lines in the chamber. Up to sixteen points are measured along each plumb line. The experimental data of the aforesaid three parameters of the individual office in warm condition under stratum ventilation are presented. The experimental data collected are used to validate a re-normalization group (RNG) k–? turbulence model used for the warm condition. The agreements between the predicted values and experimental results are acceptable, which demonstrates the feasibility of simulating indoor airflows at elevated room temperature under stratum ventilation by the RNG k–? turbulence model.     

Experimental and numerical study on natural ventilation performance of various multi-opening wind catchers

Wind catcher as a natural ventilation system is increasingly used in modern buildings to minimize the consumption of non-renewable energy and reduce the harmful emissions. Height, cross section of the air passages and also place and the number of openings are the main factors which affect the ventilation performance of a wind catcher structure. In this study, experimental wind tunnel, smoke visualization testing and computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling were conducted to investigate ventilation performance of wind catchers with different number of openings to find how the number of opening affects hydrodynamic behavior of wind catchers. To achieve this particular aim, five cylindrical models with same cross section areas and same heights were employed. The cross sections of all these wind catchers were divided internally into various segments to get two-sided, three-sided, four-sided, six-sided and twelve-sided wind catchers. The experimental investigations were conducted in an open circuit subsonic wind tunnel. For all these five shapes, the ventilated air flow rate into the test room was measured at different air incident angles. Numerical solutions were used for all these five configurations to validate the proposed measuring techniques and the corresponding wind tunnel results. The results show that the number of openings is a main factor in performance of wind catcher systems. It also shows that the sensitivity of the performance of different wind catchers related to the wind angle decreases by increasing the number of openings. Moreover, comparing with a circular wind catcher a rectangular system provides a higher efficiency.     

Impact of computational domain on the prediction of buoyancy-driven ventilation cooling

Traditional solar heated cavity structures such as solar chimneys make use of the stored solar energy in the interior wall to enhance natural ventilation of buildings but integration of photovoltaic devices into the exterior wall of such a structure can result in different proportions of heat distribution on both interior and exterior walls. This paper presents results of CFD simulation of the buoyancy-driven airflow and heat transfer in vertical cavities of different heights and widths with different total heat fluxes and wall heat distributions for ventilation cooling. Two sizes of computational domain were used for simulation – a small domain same as the physical size of a cavity and a large extended domain that is much larger than the cavity. The predicted natural ventilation rate and heat transfer coefficient have been found to depend on not only the cavity size and the quantity and proportion of heat distribution on the cavity walls but also the domain size. The difference in the predicted ventilation rate or heat transfer coefficient using the small and large domains is generally larger for wider cavities where heat distribution on two vertical walls is highly asymmetrical; incoming air would be distorted from symmetrical distribution across the inlet opening; and/or significant reverse flow would occur at the outlet opening. The difference in the heat transfer coefficient is generally less than that in the ventilation rate. In addition, a cavity with symmetrical heating has a higher ventilation rate but lower heat transfer coefficient than does an asymmetrically heated cavity.     

Simulation of buoyancy-driven natural ventilation of buildings—Impact of computational domain

Two computational domains have been used for simulation of buoyancy-driven natural ventilation in vertical cavities for different total heat fluxes and wall heat distributions. Results were compared between cavities with horizontal and vertical inlets. The predicted ventilation rate and heat transfer coefficient have been found to depend on the domain size and inlet position as well as the cavity size and heat distribution ratio. The difference in the predicted ventilation rate or heat transfer coefficient using two domains is generally larger for wider cavities with asymmetrical heating and is also larger for ventilation cavities with a horizontal inlet than those with a vertical inlet. The difference in the heat transfer coefficient is generally less than that in the ventilation rate. In addition, a ventilation cavity with symmetrical heating has a higher ventilation rate but generally lower heat transfer coefficient than does an asymmetrically heated cavity. A computational domain larger than the physical size should be used for accurate prediction of the flow rate and heat transfer in ventilation cavities or naturally ventilated buildings with large openings, particularly with multiple inlets and outlets. This is demonstrated with two examples for natural ventilation of buildings.     

Model development and experimental validation of a floriculture greenhouse under natural ventilation

Greenhouse technology is an effective method of cultivation of flowers, crops, etc. under controlled environment. For any greenhouse, ventilation performance is a major factor in production, influencing the yield and quality of the products. Natural ventilation can be effectively used to maintain greenhouse microclimate, conducive to plant growth, when the ambient conditions are not extreme. The present paper discusses the modeling aspects of a floriculture greenhouse suitable for operation in typical Indian climate under natural ventilation. Combined ridge and sidewall ventilation is considered in the model. The model is validated against the test results of an experimental greenhouse. Parametric analysis is also done to understand the effects of variations in parameters such as wind speed, solar radiation intensity, effective greenhouse height etc. The study reveals that the performance of a greenhouse under natural ventilation is influenced considerably by parameters such as intensity of solar radiation, effective distance between the side and the roof vents, free wind speed etc.     

Controlling power output of solar chimney power plant according to demand

ABSTRACT

The solar chimney power plant (SCPP) is a simple solar thermal power plant that is capable of converting solar energy into thermal energy in the solar collector. In the second stage, the generated thermal energy is converted into kinetic energy in the chimney and ultimately into electric energy using a combination of a wind turbine and a generator. The numerical simulations were performed for the geometry of the prototype in Manzanares, Spain. Using computational ?uid dynamics (CFD) techniques; we have simulated a two-dimensional axisymmetric model of a SCPP with the RNG k-ε turbulence. In this model, the discrete ordinates (DO) radiation model was implemented to solve the radiative transfer equation, using a two-band radiation model. The main objective of this work is to explore dynamic control over plant power output. We have presented a technique to control the power output of the solar chimney power plant, in order to deliver power according to specified demand patterns. In order to present this, the reference plant model was modified to include a secondary and tertiary collector roof under the existing main collector. In terms of base load electricity generation, the inclusion of a secondary and tertiary collector roof produces good control over plant output.     

自然通风机理与通风口优化研究

由于城市隧道相比于山岭隧道具备更高的环境保护标准,传统的隧道出口集中进行污染空气排放的方式很难满足环保要求,采用CFD手段对顶部开孔城市隧道在不同通风孔布置方式下的隧道各段风量、通风孔的进排风量进行了深入的研究,对多种工况下的通风效率进行了比较,为实际的工程设计提供了有益的参考和借鉴。     

双曲线钢筋混凝土冷却塔通风筒壁施工组织

结合具体工程实例，从施工准备、施工组织要点等方面，就双曲线钢筋混凝土冷却塔通风筒壁施工过程中的技术措施进行了介绍，提出了几点安全注意事项。     

A comparative numerical study on natural convection in inclined wavy and flat-plate solar collectors

The present study deals with the numerical analysis of natural convection heat transfer inside the inclined solar collectors. Two collectors are compared. In the first case, the collector has wavy absorber and in the second case, it has flat absorber. The solution was performed assuming the isothermal boundary conditions of absorbers and covers of collectors. CFDRC commercial software is used to simulate the laminar flow and thermal field. Governing parameters are taken as Rayleigh number (from 1×10⁶ to 5×10⁷), inclination angle (from 20° to 60°), wave length (from 1.33 to 4) and aspect ratio (from 0 to 4). Results are presented by streamlines, isotherms and local and mean Nusselt numbers. It is observed that flow and thermal fields are affected by the shape of enclosure and heat transfer rate increases in the case of wavy enclosure than that of flat enclosure.     

Summer-performance of inclined roof solar chimney for natural ventilation

Effect of inclination of absorber on the airflow rate has been investigated in a solar induced ventilation system using Roof Solar Chimney (RSC) concept. During summer months, due to the higher altitude of sun, absorber at small inclination with the horizontal plane captures more solar radiation, but suffers with reduction in the stack height. Results of the developed solution show that optimum absorber inclination varies from 40° to 60° depending upon the latitude of place. At Jaipur (India) 45° is found to be optimum for obtaining maximum rate of ventilation. At this inclination, the rate of ventilation is about 10% higher as compared to 60° and 30° inclinations. Experimental investigations show good agreement with the theoretical results. Roof Solar chimney of this size can easily be mounted on residential buildings for enhancing natural ventilation.     

A numerical investigation into the effect of Windvent louvre external angle on passive stack ventilation performance

The Windvent is a commercially available passive ventilation device. The device is constructed from sheet metal and works on the principle of pressure differential. Whereby warm air rises, creating a low pressure in the receiving room, which then draws in the fresh air. This paper investigates the effect of altering the external angle of the Windvent louvres against the internal pressure and velocity within the device and the microclimate velocity. Numerical analysis is carried out using a commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code, to investigate the effect of various louvre angles (range 10–45°) on pressure and velocity to optimise the device performance. The results show that the louvre performance mimics that of thin airfoil from aerodynamic theory. The relationship between trailing-edge stall and delivery velocity is established. The optimum louvre angle with a prevailing wind velocity of 4.5 m/s is shown to be 35° with a stall angle of 40° illustrated. The external, performance enhancing louvre angle, determined through this investigation is subject to UK patent number 0809311.4.     

Enhancement of natural ventilation in buildings using a thermal chimney

A new module was developed for and implemented in the EnergyPlus program for the simulation and determination of the energy impact of thermal chimneys. This paper describes the basic concepts, assumptions, and algorithms implemented into the EnergyPlus program to predict the performance of a thermal chimney. Using the new module, the effects of the chimney height, solar absorptance of the absorber wall, solar transmittance of the glass cover and the air gap width are investigated under various conditions. Chimney height, solar absorptance and solar transmittance turned out to have more influence on the ventilation enhancement than the air gap width. The potential energy impacts of a thermal chimney under three different climate conditions are also investigated. It turned out that significant building cooling energy saving can be achieved by properly employing thermal chimneys and that they have more potential for cooling than for heating. In addition, the performance of a thermal chimney was heavily dependent on the climate of the location.     

A study of solar chimney assisted wind tower system for natural ventilation in buildings

The concept of a solar chimney coupled with a wind tower to induce natural ventilation has been studied analytically in this paper. It is estimated that the effect of a solar chimney is relatively much higher for lower wind speeds. For ambient wind speed of 1.0 m/s, for example, the wind tower alone creates a mass flow rate of 0.75 kg/s only, while the solar chimney assisted system is able to create an air flow up to 1.4 kg/s at 700 W/m² incident solar radiation.     

Natural ventilation of multiple storey buildings: The use of stacks for secondary ventilation

The natural ventilation of buildings may be enhanced by the use of stacks. As well as increasing the buoyancy pressure available to drive a flow, the stacks may also be used to drive ventilation in floors where there is little heat load. This is achieved by connecting the floor with a relatively low heat load to a floor with a higher heat load through a common stack. The warm air expelled from the warmer space into the stack thereby drives a flow through the floor with no heat load. This principle of ventilation has been adopted in the basement archive library of the new SSEES building at UCL. In this paper a series of laboratory experiments and supporting quantitative models are used to investigate such secondary ventilation of a low level floor driven by a heat source in a higher level floor. The magnitude of the secondary ventilation within the lower floor is shown to increase with the ratio of the size of the openings on the lower to the upper floor and also the height of the stack. The results also indicate that the secondary ventilation leads to a reduction in the magnitude of the ventilation through the upper floor, especially if the lower floor has a large inlet area.