Natural ventilation induced by Trombe wall using basement air -

Abstract

The aim of this work is to study the viability of utilizing natural ventilation using a Trombe wall drawing fresh air from underground basement floor for indoor thermal comfort in the dry desert climate. The fresh air is introduced at a low level to the basement by means of an earth tube. A numerical model was developed that integrated thermal models of the basement space and the occupied zone, and the Trombe wall to predict the indoor air temperature and comfort conditions and to evaluate the energy performance of the integrated system. The various sub-models were validated with published data in literature. The model was applied to a case study to assess feasibility of depending on natural ventilation for comfort during the summer months in dwelling unit located in the inland plateau of Lebanon. The simulation results showed that a thermally comfortable indoor environment was attained for a large number of hours. During the sunshine hours, thermal comfort conditions were maintained for about 58.3percent to 83.3percent depending on the month of the year.