Track: Energy
Abstract
The application of a solar chimney is not limited to power generation; it can also be used for building ventilation. It plays with a mechanism where solar energy is used to enhance the flow rate from the building. Three different face areas (0.56 m2, 1 m2, and 2.25 m2) of solar chimney models are designed and developed in the Mechatronics Engineering Laboratory at the World University of Bangladesh. The solar heating system is replaced with an electric heating system, and the load is fixed from 1 kW to 2.5 kW, depending on the size of the chimneys. The model chimneys are also modified with a wire mesh screen so that the whole solid chimney can be used as a heat source. About 100 sets of experiments were carried out in the modified and traditional chimneys under different solid chimney heights and heat loads. The solid chimney heights are maintained from 0.30 m to 1.20 m with an increment of 0.30 m. The experimental results show that the volumetric flow rate varies from 0.005 m3/s to 0.014 m3/s depending on the heat load, solid chimney height, and face areas. The minimum volumetric flow rate of 0.005 m3/s was observed in the traditional chimney, whereas the maximum volumetric flow rate was 0.014 m3/s in the modified chimney. Furthermore, the modified chimney also exhibits a higher exit air temperature. Therefore, it can be concluded that the presence of wire mesh in the chimney enhances the volumetric flow rate, which is approximately 50 to 80 percent higher than the volumetric flow rate in the traditional chimney.