Windcatcher Louvers to Improve Ventilation Efficiency

Young Kwon Yang, Min Young Kim, Yong Woo Song, Sung Ho Choi and Jin Chul Park
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Young Kwon Yang: School of Architecture and Building Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea
Min Young Kim: School of Architecture and Building Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea
Yong Woo Song: Graduate School, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea
Sung Ho Choi: Graduate School, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea
Jin Chul Park: School of Architecture and Building Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 17, 1-20

Abstract: Windcatcher louvers are designed to capture air flowing outside a building in order to increase its natural ventilation. There are no studies that have designed the shape of the louver to increase the natural ventilation efficiency of the building. This study aimed to conduct a computational fluid dynamics simulation and mock-up test of a Clark Y airfoil-type windcatcher louver designed to increase the natural ventilation in a building. The following test results were obtained. The optimal angle of attack of the airfoil was calculated via a numerical analysis, which demonstrated that the wind speed was at its highest when the angle of attack was 8°; further, flow separation occurred at angles exceeding 8°, at which point the wind speed began to decrease. The results of the mock-up test demonstrated that the time required to reduce the concentration of fine particles in the indoor air was 120 s shorter when the windcatcher was installed than when it was not, which indicating that the time to reduce particles represents a 37.5%reduction. These results can be seen as reducing the energy consumption of ventilation in the building because the natural ventilation efficiency is increased.

Keywords: windcatcher louver; building ventilation efficiency; indoor thermal comfort; computational fluid dynamics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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