Abstract
A prototype atrium building is suggested with a large solar chimney on top of the atrium, which is expected to promote natural smoke exhaust and accumulate smoke at a event of a fire and promote natural ventilation when outdoor climate is desirable. In this paper natural ventilation efficiency is evaluated. The solar chimney is similar to conventional chimneys except the south-facing wall is replaced by a glazing. Solar radiation transmits the glass and thermal energy is stored in the other three walls. Air in the chimney is heated and by stack effect natural ventilation is realized. Experiment is conducted on a 1/25 scale model to evaluate the efficiency of this solar assisted natural ventilation system. Several area conditions of inlet and outlet are chosen while other conditions keep the same. CFD simulation is simultaneously done. According to results of model experiment and simulation, natural ventilation promoted by the solar chimney is quite sufficient to meet the demands of atrium ventilation. As to the office rooms, if area is properly set, fresh air requirement can be satisfied only by natural ventilation. In the case of this study, when inlet area changes to 24m2, necessary ventilation rate can be obtained.
