IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v16y2023i11p4371-d1157581.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Innovations in Passive Downdraft Cooling Performance Evaluation Methods: Design and Construction of a Novel Environmental Test Chamber

Author

Listed:
  • Omar Dhia Al-Hassawi

    (School of Design and Construction, Washington State University, Carpenter Hall 114, Pullman, WA 99164, USA)

  • David Drake

    (School of Design and Construction, Washington State University, Carpenter Hall 114, Pullman, WA 99164, USA)

Abstract

Energy demand for active mechanical space cooling is projected to double by 2050. Wider adoption of passive cooling systems can help reduce demand. However, familiarity with these systems remains low, and innovation in the field is constrained due to a lack of cost-effective, accessible performance evaluation methods. This paper reports the design, construction, and commissioning of an affordable, self-contained environmental test chamber. The novel chamber replicates a range of outdoor conditions common in hot, dry regions, making possible year-round testing of reduced-scale prototypes. Data from calibration testing are reported, showing no significant difference in evaporative efficiency when a reduced-scale prototype tested in the chamber is compared with datasets from prior full-scale testing. Analyzing the results using an independent sample two-tailed t-test with a 95% confidence interval found a p -value of 0.75. While measured outlet air velocities for reduced-scale and full-scale prototypes differed to some extent (root mean square error of 0.45 m/s), results were nevertheless deemed comparable due to errors introduced by the rapid change in wind speeds and directions at full scale. Future chamber modifications will correct misalignments between data collected from the two scales and prevent observed increases in the chamber’s relative humidity levels during testing.

Suggested Citation

  • Omar Dhia Al-Hassawi & David Drake, 2023. "Innovations in Passive Downdraft Cooling Performance Evaluation Methods: Design and Construction of a Novel Environmental Test Chamber," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-20, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:11:p:4371-:d:1157581
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/11/4371/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/11/4371/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Givoni, B., 1997. "Performance of the “shower” cooling tower in different climates," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 173-178.
    2. Calautit, John Kaiser & Hughes, Ben Richard, 2016. "A passive cooling wind catcher with heat pipe technology: CFD, wind tunnel and field-test analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 460-471.
    3. Mahon, Harry & Friedrich, Daniel & Hughes, Ben, 2022. "Wind tunnel test and numerical study of a multi-sided wind tower with horizontal heat pipes," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Peng-Yi Cui & Jia-Qi Wang & Feng Yang & Qing-Xia Zhao & Yuan-Dong Huang & Yong Yang & Wen-Quan Tao, 2022. "Effects of Radiant Floor Heating Integrated with Natural Ventilation on Flow and Dispersion in a Newly Decorated Residence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-22, December.
    2. Marian A. Nessim & Aya Elshabshiri & Virginia Bassily & Niriman Soliman & Khaled Tarabieh & Sherif Goubran, 2023. "The Rise and Evolution of Wind Tower Designs in Egypt and the Middle East," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-29, July.
    3. Kang, Daeho & Strand, Richard K., 2016. "Significance of parameters affecting the performance of a passive down-draft evaporative cooling (PDEC) tower with a spray system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 269-280.
    4. Jomehzadeh, Fatemeh & Nejat, Payam & Calautit, John Kaiser & Yusof, Mohd Badruddin Mohd & Zaki, Sheikh Ahmad & Hughes, Ben Richard & Yazid, Muhammad Noor Afiq Witri Muhammad, 2017. "A review on windcatcher for passive cooling and natural ventilation in buildings, Part 1: Indoor air quality and thermal comfort assessment," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 736-756.
    5. Zeng, Cheng & Liu, Shuli & Shukla, Ashish, 2017. "A review on the air-to-air heat and mass exchanger technologies for building applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 753-774.
    6. Zhang, Haihua & Yang, Dong & Tam, Vivian W.Y. & Tao, Yao & Zhang, Guomin & Setunge, Sujeeva & Shi, Long, 2021. "A critical review of combined natural ventilation techniques in sustainable buildings," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    7. Goudarzi, Hossein & Mostafaeipour, Ali, 2017. "Energy saving evaluation of passive systems for residential buildings in hot and dry regions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 68(P1), pages 432-446.
    8. Qi, Xiaoni & Liu, Yongqi & Guo, Qianjian & Yu, Jie & Yu, Shanshan, 2016. "Performance prediction of seawater shower cooling towers," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 435-443.
    9. Jouhara, H. & Chauhan, A. & Nannou, T. & Almahmoud, S. & Delpech, B. & Wrobel, L.C., 2017. "Heat pipe based systems - Advances and applications," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 729-754.
    10. Wang, Weiliang & Zhang, Hai & Liu, Pei & Li, Zheng & Lv, Junfu & Ni, Weidou, 2017. "The cooling performance of a natural draft dry cooling tower under crosswind and an enclosure approach to cooling efficiency enhancement," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 186(P3), pages 336-346.
    11. Qi Xu & Saffa Riffat & Shihao Zhang, 2019. "Review of Heat Recovery Technologies for Building Applications," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-22, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:11:p:4371-:d:1157581. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.