Application of a Passive Cooling Wind Catcher within the Built Environment: Numerical and Experimental Analysis

Commercial wind catchers are passive ventilation devices adapted from vernacular architecture of Middle Eastern cultures which date back hundreds of years. The wind catcher sustain natural ventilation and cooling in buildings through wind driven airflow as well as temperature difference. However, its cooling performance is limited in hot climates, especially during the summer period. In this study, a standard roof-mounted wind catcher was integrated with heat pipes to reduce the temperature of the supply airflow. A commercial CFD code was used to simulate the effect of the heat pipes on the ventilation and thermal performance of the system. A 1:10 scale model was created using a 3D printer and tested inside a low-speed wind tunnel. Qualitative and quantitative wind tunnel analysis of the airflow through the wind catcher were compared with the CFD results. Field testing of the wind catcher was also conducted in the Middle East to evaluate its performance under real conditions. A cooling potential of up to 12K was identified in this study. The technology presented here is subject to an international patent application (PCT/GB2014/052263).