ISSN 0003-701X, Applied Solar Energy, 2014, Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 37–43. © Allerton Press, Inc., 2014.

SOLAR HEAT—COOLING,
ACCUMULATION

Experimental, CFD Simulation and Parametric Studies

on Modified Solar Chimney for Building Ventilation1
Shiv Lal
Centre for Energy Studies, Delhi, India
e-mail: shivlal1@gmail.com
Received September 30, 2013

Abstract—The solar chimney is a passive solar system which can be used for enhance the natural ventilation
and space conditioning of a building. A solar chimney design is modified and installed at CBRI Roorkee
(29.87° N 77.88° E), India. A Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software is used for prediction of velocity
and temperature in Modified solar chimney (MSC) and evaluating the Air Change per hour (ACH), which is
validated through experimental and theoretical counterpart and found a good agreement between them. From
the result of thermal performance analysis, it is found that MSC generates 2.39–7.13 ACH in experimental
room in month of May 2013, when outdoor solar radiation was in the range of 250–612 W/m2. Due to this ACH,
the room temperature is dropped by 2–4°C as compared to reference room temperature. The parametric study
shows that the optimum glass tilt angle estimated by 5 degree for highest performance consideration of MSC.
The air gap is optimised by 60 mm and air gap to inlet opening height ratio is optimised by 0.2.

DOI: 10.3103/S0003701X14010125

1
1. INTRODUCTION
The building integrated solar chimney (SC) is
improving natural ventilation through displacing room
air by piston flow. It is a feasible and economically via-
ble option to enhance the building ventilation and
space conditioning. Few studies have been carried out
by various researchers but SC concept is not com-
monly used in building design still today. The Trombe
wall was the first solar chimney which can be used for
space heating only. It was modified further for both
space heating and ventilation, the dampers were con-
trolling the flow direction in MSC, and it can be inte-
grated with other passive system [1].
A mathematical model was developed by [2] to
evaluate the ACH of solar chimney. After that [3]
developed the thermal model to evaluate the perfor-
mance. In continuation of that [4] experimentally
analysed a 2 m high solar chimney for ventilation
enhancement. The maximum air flow rate (ventila-
tion) can be achieved at optimum chimney width (one
tenth of chimney height) and further increase in width
led to the decrease in the air flow rate due to the occur-
rence of back flow at the outlet of chimney [5]. It was
confirmed by numerical study of [6], in continuation
of that, a parametric study of Trombe wall for passive
cooling of building was carried out for varying air gap
between 0.1 m to 0.4 m and developed equations for air
flow rate, mass flow rate, wall temperature and heat
gain [7]. The optimum air gap to height ratio depends
on the chimney inlet design [8, 9].
1 The article is published in the original.
Barozi et al. [10] used a 2–D computational fluid
dynamics (CFD) model to investigate the air move-
ment in a 1 : 12 building model, and reported a good
agreement between simulation and experimental
results. A standard k–ε model for turbulent flow was
used for three dimensional simulation study of a solar
chimney by [11]. The similar model was used by var-
ious researchers [12, 13], and found (k–epsilon)
model is provide better results for flow boundary lay-
ers under strong adverse pressure gradient. Shen et al.
[14] numerically studied composite Trombe solar
wall consisting of three layers namely as: glass, mas-
sive wall and polystyrene insulating wall (Gypsum
plaster inside the room).
The presented work is based on the experimental
and CFD simulation conducted on a full length solar
chimney of 2.54 m length for a single story official
room. Most of the researchers have investigated venti-
lation with 2 m or less height. In the present study, the
attempts have been made to explore the feasibility of
metallic solar chimney concept without heat storage
which can be used in buildings located in hot climatic
conditions. The innovative aspect of this paper is that
the Mild steel (MS) plate absorber based MSC is
designed for 4 ACH (at 400 W/m2 solar radiations) and
insitu results are improved from designed value. The
whole work is experimental and simulated in CFD
(ANSYS 14.0 workbench) and parametric study is also
carried out to optimise the air gap to inlet opening
height ratio and glass tilt angle.

37
38 SHIV LAL

(a) (b)

Hot air out

200
B Damper
3 Recirculated
Glass
Air 300 hot air
Absorber
Plate Absorber wall
3
60 Solar Air
irradiation
DETAIL B
SCALE 1:0
3100 Room
2500

Position 2 Thermal insulation

300 Glazing
Position 1 +++ Air inlet

A Room air 200

In DETAIL A
SCALE 1:0

Fig. 1. (a) Detail modelling of modified solar chimney; (b) Schematic view of MSC.

2. MODELLING AND MESHING OF MSC 2.2. Simulation in Fluent

The CFD simulation is working on four steps as: We consider the steady turbulent flow so that Rey-
geometry development, mesh generation, putting nolds–Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations
boundary conditions, and simulate it in FLUENT are used for simulation with model. The Bousinesq
software till convergence. The Realizable k–epsilon approximation is used to account for air density varia-
turbulent model with standard wall functions have tion in buoyancy driven flow. All the calculations were
been used to simulate the two dimensional model of determined with the standard k–ε model and the basic
MSC where constants values equations are given in equation summarized as below.
basic equations para.
Basic equations. The standard k–epsilon turbulent
model with discrete ordinance radiation model for
2.1. Geometry Development and Meshing CFD simulation model has been adopted from [15].
A two Dimensional geometry of MSC is developed The transport phenomena developed by [16] inside the
in design modular (DM) associated with ANSYS 14.0 examined building (air and solid materials) have been
workbench [18]. It is necessary to define all zone and used. The flow is assumed to be 2–D, steady and tur-
domains before starting the mesh generation. The bulent. The continuity, momentum conservation and
glass, black body and wood are defined as solid edge energy transport are given by.
domain whereas the air is defined as fluid surface Continuity equation:
domain. The detailed two dimensional model of MSC
is shown in Fig. 1a and schematic view is shown in ∂U
Fig. 1b. -------i = 0. (1)
∂x i
The quality of the mesh plays a direct role on the
quality of the analysis, regardless of the flow solver. Momentum conservation equation:
The mesh can be shaped to be body fitted through
stretching and twisting of the block. ∂U ∂P- + --∂--- ( ν + μ ) ∂U
ρ ⎛ U j -------i⎞ = ---- -i + f b .
t ------ (2)
The mesh is generated by using meshing software ⎝ ∂x i ⎠ ∂x i ∂x i ∂x i
compatible to ANSYS 14.0 after that mesh is refined
by mesh control option. The mesh is also refined Energy conservation:
nearby edges to refine the simulated results. The mesh
is contained 29123 elements and 67322 nodes. The ∂h ∂ ∂T
mesh is well defined and uniform throughout the MSC ρU i ----- = k eff ----
- ----- + S h , (3)
other than nearby the surfaces. ∂x i ∂x i ∂x i

APPLIED SOLAR ENERGY Vol. 50 No. 1 2014

 EXPERIMENTAL, CFD SIMULATION AND PARAMETRIC STUDIES 39

Properties of materials
Material ρ, kg/m2 Cp, J/kg °C k, W/m °C Emissivity Absorptivity, α Transmitivity
Mild Steel 7800 500 52 0.95 0.95 0
Glass 2500 820 1 0.9 0.06 0.84
Air 1.225 1006.43 0.0242 – – –

where effective conductivity is given by In this equation the phase function (ϕ is considered
Cp μt as isotropic), refractive index, scattering coefficient
k eff = k f + k t , where k t = -------
-. (4) are assumed to be independent on wavelength. The
P rt angular space (4π) at any spatial location is discretised
The calculation of energy equation source term is into number of solid angle (multiplication of polar and
important because it incorporate the effect of radiation. azimuthal angles). The refractive index taken as con-
In solid material the above equation is reduced to: stant in the calculation of black body emission as well
2 as in boundary conditions imposed by semi-transpar-
∂T ent glass wall. Solving the fine angular discretization in
k s -------2 + S h = 0. (5)
∂x i DO model is very CPU intensive that’s why a high
configured processor is used. The RTE is integrated
Turbulent model: The flow inside the solar chimney over each length and total intensity in each direction
is turbulent. The Realizable k–epsilon model imple- can be computed by using
mented to solve the model. The transportation equation
is in terms of turbulent kinetic energy (k) is given as:
∂k ∂U ∂ ⎛ μ ∂k
I λ ( r, s ) = ∑I λk ( r, s )Δλ k . (10)
ρU j ----- = τ ij -------i – ρε + ---- - μ + ----t ⎞ ----
- . (6) k
∂x j ∂x j ∂x j ⎝ σ k⎠ ∂x j
This RTE equation coupled with a volumetric
The transportation equation is given in terms of source term given by [17] as:
heat dissipation rate as:
4π
2
μ ∂q
ρU j ----- = C ε1 - P k – ρC ε2 --- + --∂--- ⎛ μ + ----t ⎞ -∂ε
∂ε ε ε
∂x j k k ∂x i ⎝ σ ε⎠ ∂x i
---- , (7) S h = – ------ri- = α λ 4πI bλ ( r ) –
∂x i ∫ I ( r, s ) dΩ . (11)
0

k
2
∂U 1
where, μt = ρC µ --- , Pk = τ ij -------, σk = 1, σε = 1.3, Cµ =
ε ∂x j
0.09, Cε1 = 1.14, Cε2 = 1.96.
Radiation model. The Discrete Ordinates (DO)
model is used to simulate the MSC model. This model
allows the solution of radiation at semi-transparent
walls. DO radiation model solves the Radiative Trans-
fer Equation (RTE) for a finite number of discrete
solid angles, each associated with a vector direction
( s ) fixed in the global Cartesian (x, y, z). It transform
RTE equation into transport equation for radiation
intensity in the spatial coordinated (x, y, z). The RTE
for solar irradiation intensity [Iλ ( r, s )] turns to:
∇ ( I λ ( r,s )s ) + ( α λ + σ λ )I λ ( r,s )
4π
σ (8)
∫
2
= α λ n I bλ ( r ) + -----s I λ ( r,s' )φ ( s, s' ) dΩ,
4π
0
where the spectral absorption coefficient (αλ) can
computed from the absorptivity (α) as per the media
thickness (d):
α λ = - ln ⎛ ----------⎞ .
1 1
d 1 – α⎠
⎝ are found to be very close to that of CFD results by
Computational effort and important input parame-
ters. The computational effort is supported by a Work
station configured as: make-Dell precision T7400,
800 MHz multicore Intel Xeon processors, 64 GB
RAM and 1TB HDD. The higher random access
memory and fast processor is reducing the simulation
time. A two dimensional steady, Realizable k–epsilon
turbulent model with standard wall function and DO
(Radiation) used for the simulation study. Some of the
important properties of materials and modelling
parameters are required for the CFD simulation which
are shown in Table 1 given below.
3. EXPERIMENTAL AND THEORETICAL
VALIDATION OF CFD MODEL
OF SOLAR CHIMNEY
The CFD model lias been developed to simulate
solar chimney for ACH for ventilation in buildings.
CFD results are validated in Fig. 2 with experimental
results [18] as well as theoretical results [3]. From val-
idated study, it is revealed that CFD model has derived
the results very close to experimental results with MBE
(1.67%) and RSME (1.9%). Results of CFD model
(9) are also compared with Ong theoretical model which

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40 SHIV LAL

Mathur et al. Ong Simulated CFD Experimental Solar irradiation

Solar irradiation, W/m2

2.7 12 600
2.5 10
8 400

ACH
2.3
ACH

6
2.1 4 200
1.9 2
0 0
1.7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
300 500 700 Time, h
Solar insolation, W/m2
Fig. 2. Validation of CFD model. Fig. 3. ACH and solar radiation for a typical day.

Experimental CFD
Experimental CFD 60
MS plate temperature, °C

Glass temperature, °C
80 50
60 40
30
40
20
20 10
0 0
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Time, h Time, h

Fig. 4. MS plate temperature day. Fig. 5. Variation of glass temperature.

MBE (2.1%). The ACH have been calculated from
ACH = Q × 3600
-----------------, where Q and v are volume flow rate
v
through SC and volume of the experimental room.
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The solar radiation, temperature at different places
in SC and inlet outlet velocity are measured. A typical
day variation of solar radiation and ACH is presented
in Fig. 3, it is exposed that ACH increases with
increase in solar radiation, it means that solar radia-
tion is a function of ACH and highest ACH is provided
by solar chimney in peak summer at middle of the day.
Therefore solar chimney works in a face of solar radi-
ation availability. The experimental uncertainties were
evaluated in the measurement of temperature, solar
radiation and velocity as: ±0.21; ±0.185 and ±0.17,
respectively. CFD model for solar chimney has been
developed and validated with experimental and theo-
retical results.
The experimental minimum-maximum value of
ACH (2.39 & 7.13) observed at 8 AM and 12 noon, at
the same time the CFD simulated values ACH evalu-
ated by 2.84 and 8.55. These results of MSC are better
than the conventional solar chimney discussed by
Bansal et al. [2] and Mathur et al. [18]. It is seen from
Fig. 4 that the CFD simulated absorber plate temper-
ature is slightly higher than the experimental value
because of onsite actual losses which are not consid-
ered in the simulation study. The difference of glass
temperatures observed by experiments and CFD sim-
ulation found to be minimum in the morning and
higher in the evening time as shown in Fig. 5. It occurs
due to wind flow losses which are in face of wind flow.
The losses due to wind flow are not considered in the
present study so that CFD simulated results assessed
higher than experimental ones.
The outlet velocity has been observed between
0.21–0.59 m/s from the MSC (60 mm air gap)
whereas solar radiation measured between 250 to
612 W/m2. These are improved results than results of
Ong (air velocities between 0.25 to 0.39 m/s for 0.3 m
air gap for intensity up to 650 W/m2) which is due to
MS plate absorber. The experimental and CFD simu-
lated velocities are described in Fig. 6, it is found that
the trend of plots is found to be similar with variance
lying between 0.028 to 0.125 m/s. The air outlet tem-
perature increases upto noon after that decreases upto
evening because it is linearly varying with solar radia-
tion as shown in Fig. 7.

APPLIED SOLAR ENERGY Vol. 50 No. 1 2014

 EXPERIMENTAL, CFD SIMULATION AND PARAMETRIC STUDIES 41

Experimental CFD Experimental CFD Simulated

Air outlet temperature, °C

0.8
Outlet velocity, m/s
50
0.6 45
40
0.4 35
30
0.2
25
0
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 20
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Time, h
Time, h

Fig. 6. SC air outlet velocities. Fig. 7. SC air outlet temperatures.

100 mm air gap 150 mm air gap 60 mm air gap

75 mm opening 150 mm opening 300 mm opening
12
18 10
16
14 8

ACH
12
ACH

10 6
8 4
6
4 2
2
0 0
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Time, h Time, h

Fig. 8. Inlet opening v/s ACH at air gap 60 mm. Fig. 9. Effect of air gap on ACH.

5. PARAMETRIC STUDY 5.3. Effect of Air Gap to Inlet Ratio on ACH

5.1. Effect of Inlet Opening on ACH The effect of air gap to inlet opening ratio (RGio) on
ACH is shown in Fig. 10. This ratio (RGio) is taken as:
The simulated CFD results in terms of ACH for 0.2, 0.4, 0.67, 0.8 and 1 for the study. It is seen that the
three different inlet openings are shown in Fig. 8. The ACH decreases with increasing (RGio). It is found that
ACH trend is varying linearly to the solar insolation both air gap and inlet opening are affecting the ACH
from morning to evening for all three openings. It is therefore both parameters must be optimise. The air
found that the simulated ACH is higher for 300 mm gap and inlet opening are obtained as 60 and 300 mm
inlet opening as compared to 75 and 150 mm open- respectively for which, RGio = 0.2 shows the highest
ings. So 300 mm is the optimum inlet opening for the ACH in figure.
designed MSC at Roorkee.
AG/Inlet = 0.2 AG/Inlet = 0.4
AG/Inlet = 0.67 AG/Inlet = 0.8
5.2. Effect of Air Gap on ACH AG/Inlet = 1
CFD simulation has been carried out to measure 20
the effect of air gap on ACH at constant inlet area.
Whereas three air gap (60, 100 and 150 mm) have been
ACH

used for the study. It is seen from the Fig. 9, that the 10
ACH decreases as air gap is increasing from 60 to
150 mm for all solar radiation from morning to
evening. The 60 mm is the optimum air gap from high- 0
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
est ACH consideration. On the other hand, it is Time, h
slightly higher than 1.5 times of hydrodynamic bound-
ary layer thickness of MSC. Fig. 10. Effect of RGio on ACH.

APPLIED SOLAR ENERGY Vol. 50 No. 1 2014

42 SHIV LAL

2 degree inclination 5 degree inclination 2 degree inclination 5 degree inclination

Outlet temperature, °C 8 degree inclination 8 degree inclination

MS plate temperature, °C
50
80
45
60
40
40
35
20
30
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 0
Time, h 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Time, h

Fig. 11. Effect of θg on air outlet temperature. Fig. 12. Effect of θg on absorber plate temperature.

(a) (b) (c) (a) (b) (c)

0.02 0.01 0.02 0.84 0.80 0.78
0.01 0.01 0.02 0.80 0.76 0.74
0.01 0.01 0.02 0.75 0.72 0.70
0.01 0.01 0.01 0.71 0.68 0.66
0.01 0.01 0.01 0.67 0.64 0.62
0.01 0.01 0.01 0.63 0.60 0.58
0.01 0.01 0.01 0.59 0.56 0.54
0.01 0.01 0.01 0.54 0.52 0.50
0.01 0.01 0.01 0.50 0.58 0.47
0.01 0.01 0.01 0.46 0.44 0.43
0.01 0.01 0.01 0.42 0.40 0.39
0.01 0.01 0.01 0.38 0.36 0.35
0.01 0.34 0.32 0.31
0.01 0.01 0.29 0.28 0.27
0.01 0.00 0.01 0.25 0.24 0.23
0.00 0.00 0.01 0.21 0.20 0.19
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.17 0.16 0.16
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.13 0.12 0.12
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.08 0.08 0.08
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.04 0.04 0.04
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
0.00 0.00 0.00
Aug 19, 2013
Aug 19, 2013 Contours of Velocity Magnitude (m/s) ANSYS FLUENT 14.0 (2d, pbns, ske)
Contours of Turbulent Kinetic Energy (K) (m2/s2) ANSYS FLUENT 14.0 (2d, pbns, ske)

Fig. 13. Effect of θg on turbulence of air. Fig. 14. Effect of θg on air velocity.

5.4. Effect of Glass Inclination on Performance 6. CONCLUSIONS

of Solar Chimney
The performance of building integrated MSC has
The inclination of glass also affects the perfor- been evaluated in May month of year 2013 and found
mance of solar chimney. The CFD simulation was car- higher than the conventional solar chimney. The para-
ried out for different glass inclinations angles (θg) such metric study of MSC has been earned out by using
as 2, 5 and 8 degree. The 5 degree angle is found most CFD simulation software. Being a function of solar
optimum angle. The MSC outlet and absorber plate radiation, ACH increases with increase in it. There-
temperatures at 5 degree glass inclination has been fore, ACH has been observed minimum (2.39) at 8AM
found higher than the glass inclination of 2 & 8 degree and maximum (7.13) at 12 noon which is sufficient
as shown in Figs. 11 and 12. The ACH is principally and higher than the Bansal et al. [2] and Mathur et al.
higher for that configuration which having higher
[18]. The CFD simulated results are found to be in
plate temperature, so that ACH will be higher for
θg = 5. And it is found feasible through structural con- good agreement with experimental absorber plate
sideration also because base length for 8 degree temperature but CFD and experimental glass temper-
assessed higher than the designed value. On the other ature difference increases due to higher wind losses
hand, turbulence/eddies will be generated more for from the glass till evening. The optimum air gap value
8 degree glass inclination as shown in Fig. 13 which has been found as 60 mm which is 1.5 times higher
affects the velocity flow pattern and separation of fluid than the hydrodynamic boundary layer thickness of
started which is represented by marked zone in Fig. 14. MSC. The optimized air gap to inlet opening ratio
Hence it is revealed that 5 degree inclination is suitable (RGio = 0.2) and optimized θg = 5 degree for higher
for the proposed solar chimney retrofit. performance with turbulence considerations.

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 EXPERIMENTAL, CFD SIMULATION AND PARAMETRIC STUDIES
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