Análisis teórico de una chimenea solar con tres canales de flujo de aire
A solar chimney configuration consisting of three air flow channels divided by two metallic plate, placed in the center of the chimney between two acrylic covers, leading to symmetric air flow, is proposed as an alternative for the design of natural ventilation systems for buildings in tropical and subtropical climatic zones The solar chimney dimensions are 2.0 m height, 1.0 m width, and gap between channels of 0.30 m. These dimensions are appropriate for the design of ventilation systems for residential buildings in central México. A Numerical simulation using the global mass and energy balances in steady state was utilized to evaluate the efficacy of the proposed configuration. The temperature profiles, calculated for a typical hot day in a tropical region, reveal that the configuration is more efficient than the single channel chimney, achieving thermal efficiency values near 75%. This solar chimney configuration can be used with better results than the traditional design as an alternative for natural ventilation systems in residential buildings without a significant increase in the cost of the residence investment.