Integrated Phase-Change Materials in a Hybrid Windcatcher Ventilation System

Olamide Eso (), Jo Darkwa and John Calautit
Additional contact information
Olamide Eso: Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park Campus, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
Jo Darkwa: Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park Campus, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
John Calautit: Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park Campus, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-36

Abstract: Windcatchers are effective passive ventilation systems, but their inability to actively reduce and stabilize supply air temperatures reduces indoor cooling performance. This study addresses this limitation by integrating encapsulated phase-change material tubes (E-PCM-Ts) into a solar fan-assisted, multidirectional windcatcher. The novelty lies in the vertical placement of E-PCM-Ts within the windcatcher’s airstreams, enhancing heat transfer and addressing challenges related to temperature stabilization and cooling. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) under hot outdoor conditions, the ventilation, cooling, and PCM thermal storage performance are evaluated based on two different E-PCM-T arrangements. Results showed a maximum air temperature drop of 2.28 °C at a wind speed of 1.88 m/s and wind angle of 0°. This offers an optimal temperature reduction that achieved a 6.5% reduction for up to 7 h of air temperature stabilization. Placing E-PCM-Ts in all airstreams improved the thermal storage performance of the windcatcher. A 50% increase in hybrid ventilation efficiency was also achieved when wind angles increased from 0° to 30°. Overall, the proposed system demonstrated superior performance compared to that of traditional windcatchers, delivering improved thermal energy storage and cooling efficiency and adequate hybrid ventilation with supply air velocities of 0.37–0.60 m/s.

Keywords: CFD; cooling; hybrid ventilation; phase-change material; thermal energy storage; multidirectional windcatcher (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: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/4/848/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/4/848/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:4:p:848-:d:1588843

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().