Energy Convers. Mgmt Vol. 35, No. 8, pp.

671-682, 1994
~ Pergamon 0196-8904(93)E0028-J
Copyright © 1994 Elsevier Science Ltd
Printed in Great Britain. All rights reserved
0196-8904/94 $7.00 + 0.00

AMALGAMATION OF TRADITIONAL AND MODERN

COOLING TECHNIQUES IN A PASSIVE SOLAR HOUSE:
A DESIGN ANALYSIS

SAN JAY KUMAR,t? G. N. TIWARI t and N. C. BHAGAT 2

~Center for Energy Studies, Indian Institute of Technology, Hauz Khas, New Delhi-110 016 and
2Department o f Physics, University o f Bihar, Muzaffarpur, India

(Received 18 February 1993; received for publication 16 December 1993)

Abstract--In this presentation, different roof and wall designs/treatments have been proposed, incorpo-
rating m o d e m and ancient features together, for passive cooling. On the basis o f their thermal analysis
(by solving energy balances of different components o f roof and walls, etc.), the variation of living room
temperature in different cases has been computed numerically for Jodhpur (India). The climatic conditions
of Jodhpur are characterized as hot and dry. It is inferred that (a) evaporative cooling with an air cavity
in the roof is the best option to reduce the incoming heat flux through the roof if water is easily available
and (b) a thin layer of cow dung slurry inside the wall cavity reduces the incoming heat flux through the
walls. It is better than solid walls and air cavity walls.

Solar architecture Building design Passive cooling

NOMENCLATURE
A~ = Surface area of isothermal mass (m 2)
b= Breadth (m)
Ca = Specific heat of air (J/kg °C)
C~ = Thermal conductance o f air-gap/cow dung slurry (W/m 2 °C)
Cj = Specific heat of conducting material in j t h layer of roof/walls (J/kg °C)
Cw = Specific heat of water (J/kg °C)
d= Depth of water film (m)
dw = Thickness of wall (m)
d~ = Thickness of cow dung slurry (m)
fw = Shading factor for windows
f~ = Shading factor on wails
h' = Heat transfer coefficient from flowing air to j t h layer o f roof (W/m 2 °C)
hb = Heat transfer coefficient from enclosed air to underground surface (W/m 2 °C)
hc = Convective heat transfer coefficient from water film o f roof to ambient air (W/m 2 °C)
hd = Heat transfer coefficient for doors (W/m 2 °C)
hc = Evaporative heat transfer coefficient from water surface to ambient (W/m 2 °C)
hfw = Convective heat transfer coefficient from roof surface to moving water (W/m 2 °C)
h0 = Heat transfer coefficient from metal surface o f roof to ambient 0V/m ~ °C)
h~ = Heat transfer coefficient from metal surface of roof to flowing air in cavity (W/m 2 °C)
hi = Heat transfer coefficient from inside surface o f roof/wall to enclosed room air (W/m s °C)
i=,/~
l(t) = Solar intensity on roof and walls (W/m 2)
K = Thermal conductivity (W/InK)
LR= Characteristic length of roof (m)
Ma = Mass of air inside room (kg)
Mw = Mass of water over roof (kg)
rnw = Mass flow rate of water over roof (kg/s)
n= Integers
P,.w = Partial pressure o f saturated vapor at air and water temperature
Q= Rate o f heat flux gain/lost to enclosed room (W/m 2)
t= Time (s)
Ta = Ambient air temperature (°C)
Tar = Temperature o f flowing air in roof cavity (°C)
Tj = Temperature in different layers of roof/walls (°C)
Ta~ = Maximum room air temperature (°C)
Ta,~n = Minimum room air temperature (°C)

tTo whom all correspondence should be addressed.

671
672 KUMAR et al.: COOLING TECHNIQUES IN A PASSIVE SOLAR HOUSE

Trt = Room air temperature (°C)

T~ = Solar temperature (°C)
T~ = Water temperature over roof (°C)
IOC = Thermal load levelling
U~ = Overall heat transfer coefficient from floor to earth (W/m2°C)
Ug= Heat transfer coefficient from glass to room during day (W/mz °C)
U~ = Heat transfer coefficient from room to glass during night (W/m2°C)
u0 = Water velocity (m/s)
v = Wind velocity (m/s)
X = Position coordinate along thickness of roof (m)
Y = Position coordinate along flow direction (m)

Greek symbols
(a¢)c = Fraction of solar radiation absorbed by surface
~,= Relative humidity
AR = Difference between longwave radiation incident on surface from sky and surrounding, and radiation emitted by
black body at ambient temperature (W/m2)
ARH --- Difference in relative humidity between enclosed air and outside air
p = Density (kg/m3)
a = Stefan's constant = 5.67 x 10-8 W/m2K4
o9= 2n/period (s -I)
r/0 = Number of air changes with infiltration (h -t)
,/= Number of air changes with ventilation (h -t)

Subscripts
a = Ambient air
b = Floor/ground
d, D = Door
g, G = Glass window
i = East, west, north and south wall
j =jth layer in roof/wall
R = Room
v = Ventilation
w = Water
ww -- Wall

INTRODUCTION
F o r centuries, building designs and related techniques have been constantly modified to provide
better living conditions. By and large, these modifications are based u p o n experience. Just as in
all other climatic zones o f the world, vernacular architecture in India exhibits considerable
ingenuity in the use o f locally available materials and techniques to produce buildings that are well
a d a p t e d to local climatic conditions. M a n y such proven methods have been ignored in the design
o f m o d e r n buildings, which consequently, need special means for heating and cooling. Six different
climatic zones have been identified in India [1]. The hot and dry region is spread particularly in
the northwest o f India. Rajasthan is a typical example o f that. Here, the climate is characterized
by high day-time temperatures and comparatively low night temperatures. The inhabitants o f this
area achieve the desired thermal performance in their housing by using concepts o f dalaying the
entry o f heat inside the building, i.e. by using thick walls and materials o f high thermal capacity,
such as m u d and stone. Bansal and Minke [2] have identified different wall and r o o f construction
materials in the various climatic zones o f India. They have presented beautiful examples o f existing
rural housing concepts in the various climatic zones and have identified their passive features. Wall
construction materials for a hot and dry climate are identified as c o m p a c t e d earth rendered with
cow d u n g slurry and sandstone, upright slabs, etc. R o o f materials are similarly identified as straw
thatch on pole timber and b a m b o o substructures or on frame o f timber and glass bundles, locally
m a d e " c o u n t r y " or " S p a n i s h " tiles on timber structure and w o o d e n beams and boards covered
with straw and a protective m u d layer.
In m o d e m architecture, various aspects o f the passive features incorporated in ancient houses
can be gainfully employed after examining it scientifically. It is true that rural housing concepts
can not be applied to m o d e r n architecture in toto, but their features m a y be analyzed to give a better
insight in future planning or design considerations. The use o f locally available materials and past
experiences will have considerable bearing on existing practices. In this direction, various architects
and scientists are m a k i n g efforts. Cooling techniques, such as introduction o f air gaps, use o f
 KUMAR et al.: COOLING TECHNIQUES IN A PASSIVE SOLAR HOUSE 673

insulating and reflecting materials, thermal storage, shading devices, roof pond/water film over the
roof, minimum use of glass windows, orientation, etc. can easily be integrated within the house
to reduce the external energy load. A comprehensive review on evaporative cooling systems has
been made by Tiwari et al. [3], incorporating evaporative cooling systems of roof pond, spray
cooling/gunny bags and moving water over the roof. Later, Srivastava and Tiwari [4] conducted
an experiment to study the performance of spray cooling with gunny bags on the roof of the room.
Shading, vegetation, roof shading by pots and inside heat rejection mechanism by natural/forced
ventilation have been widely studies by Sodha et al. [1, 5]. Roof garden, movable insulation,
plantation of vegetables over the roof are other cooling techniques being considered and
investigated [6]. Singh [7] has studied the details of evaporative cooling along with an air cavity in
the walls. A model for predicting the thermal performance of a passive building is presented by
Shauiv and Shauiv [8]. They have also incorporated ventilation and infiltration besides various
cooling techniques through the walls/roofs. Therefore, in this presentation, different roof and wall
designs/treatments have been proposed, incorporating modem and ancient features together, for
passive cooling to achieve thermal comfort. On the basis of their thermal analysis (by solving the
energy balances of the different components of roof and walls, etc.), the variations of living room
temperature in different cases have been computed. For the numerical computations, the monthly
average of the hourly variation of solar radiation and ambient temperature in the month of June
for Jodhpur is considered. The climate of Jodhpur (Rajasthan) is characterized as hot and dry.

DESIGN OF P R O P O S E D PASSIVE SOLAR HOUSE

The floor plan of a two room apartment is shown in Fig. 1. The apartment is partitioned by
a wooden wall. Windows and doors are provided in the east and west directions for cross
ventilation. The roof of the house is inclined to reduce the effect of incident beam solar radiation.
Cross-sectional views of the roof and walls with different cooling concepts have been shown in
Fig. 2. The dimensions of the different components of the house--roof, walls, windows and

W D Tw
s N

I OBAT H
ILET
W
i-
E

LIVING ROOM 1 SOLID WALL

- - GLASS COVER
WOODEN WALL
SOUTH
WALL II

PARTITION

W
LIVING ROOM KITCHEN

Y II
D
W

(o) (b)
Fig. 1. (a) Floor layout plan of two room apartment non-airconditioned, showing location of living
rooms, kitchen and bathroom, respectively. (b) Cross-sectional view at X - Y of (a) showing location of
window and the door, respectively.

ECM 35/8--C
 o~

Water film
Metal sheet Metal sheet
F Air c a v i t y Air cavity
Concrete ~ :,,:::.::~..~,,-
•...,u. ~,. ~,. ~ I - ,--.'8-.-,-.,,,-..:
Id, : .'..-.,.',*
~ ..,..,: x : 0 .;~yi.:~%>:~.c.,.~;,~.&,TLc.~.~.~:,v&.7 x = 0
Mudphuska , , _ ~ x = xl X=Xl x Xl
Brick ~y//////////////////////~, x = xz y//////////////////////////~ x = x2 Y/Z////////////////////. x xz
Concrete ~ :
"-~.-.~ " ~- -.-~ " ' , , ~• ~ = ,~-~
. .~;.
-,,-,,-~.:~ XX ==X&
X3 X=X 3
XgX& c
>

.°
(a) Normal roof (b) Air cavity (c) Water film/Spray and C3
o
air cavity O

c~
,..]

z
\\ \ \ \
\ \ \ c
\\\\\\ \\N.
\\\\\',~
\\\\\~ \\ \ \ \
\\ \\N.
\ \ \ \ \ \~
\ \ N.~N
\ \ \
>
\ \ \\N '-o
\ \ \\\\1 \\N >
\\'~l \ \
\ \ \ \ \
\ x \ \ \ \
\\'N \ \
\ \ \ %N%
\ \
"" \ \ N O
\ \
,'x'S \ \
\ \ \
\ \ \ \ \ 0
rn

(d) Solid wall (¢)Air cavity (f)Cow dung slurry

Fig. 2. Cross-sectional view of the roof with different treatments (a) normal roof consists of layers of concrete, mud-phuska and brick; (b) air cavity on the roof; (c) air cavity
and water film over the normal roof. Schematic representation of proposed configuration of walls (d) solid wall, (e) air cavity wall, (f) cow dung slurry inside wall cavity.
 KUMAR et al.: COOLING TECHNIQUES IN A PASSIVE SOLAR HOUSE 675

Table 1. Areas of different components of house

Sample no. Component Areas (m2)
1 South wall 10 × 4 = 40
2 North wall 10 x 3 = 30
3 East wall 15.3
4 West wall 15.3
5 Door (east and west) 1.9 × 0.9 = 171
6 Window (east and west) 2x 2= 4
7 Floor 10 x 6 = 60
8 Roof 61

d o o r s - - a r e given in Table 1. The heat flux through the walls is sought to be minimized by using
cow d u n g slurry and sandstone in the cavity between brick walls. Similarly, the r o o f is constructed
o f different layers o f concrete, mud-phushka~" and bricks. These are supposed to introduce a time
lag as well as reduce heat conduction into the house. Hence, thermal load leveling m a y be expected
to be achieved by their use.

THERMAL ANALYSIS

In order to write the energy balance equations for the different c o m p o n e n t s o f the proposed two
r o o m apartment, the following assumptions have been made:
(a) there is no stratification in temperature inside the enclosed r o o m air;
(b) the house is in a steady state condition;
(c) one dimensional heat p r o p a g a t i o n due to conduction has been considered;
(d) there is continuity in temperature and flux at the interface;
(e) the heat lost to the floor has been considered in a steady state condition; and
(f) the numerical c o m p u t a t i o n s have been carried out for clear climatic conditions, etc.

Energy Balance
The energy gain/loss to the inside r o o m t h r o u g h the roof, walls, doors, floor and infiltra-
tion/ventilation in terms o f Joules per second per m 2 a r e given as follows:

(a) R o o f with different treatments

(I) When air is flowing through the roof cavity:
b dxh6(Ts - Tar) = [(~z)¢I(t) - ho(Ts - Ta) - E AR]b dx; (1)
and

b dxho(Ts - Tar) = F~afCa dTaf

dx dx + h ' ( T a f - Tj)b dx. (2)

Equations (1) and (2) take the form

dT.f
-- + aTar = f(t), (3)
dx
where
f(t)=b(h'Tj+UTsa), a = b ( h ' + U)
rhaf Ca rh~f Ca

U = (h~ho)/(ho + ho),

(~z)¢I(t) EAR
Tsa=-- t-Ta - -
h0 h0

tRefers to a mixture of soil, dried grass and water.

676 K U M A R et al.: COOLING TECHNIQUES IN A PASSIVE SOLAR HOUSE

The solution o f eqn (3) with the initial condition, T~f I~•0 Ta~ is given by

Taf = f(t) (1 - e -ax) + Tan e - ~ . (4)

a
The rate o f heat carried away by the flowing air can be obtained from the equation
~ar = marCa(ra~O -- T~.). (5)

(2) When water is flowing over the roof."

b dxh'o(T~ - TwO = [(~T)oI(t) - ho(T~ - Ta) - he(T~f- Ta) - E AR]b dx, (6)
and
• dT~r
b dxh~(T~ - Twf) ~---mwrCw ~ dx + h~v(Twf - - Tj)b dx, (7)

where
Pa
he = 0.016he
T•f- - Ta"

The solution for Twr can easily be obtained for eqn (3) with the initial condition, Twr Ix= 0 = T ~ ,
following K u m a r and Tiwari [9], as

(1 - e -a'x) + T ~ e -dx.
Twf =f'(t____~)
a'
(8)

The rate o f heat carried away by the flowing water can be obtained from the equation
0wr = mwrCw(Tw~ - T ~ ) . (9)
(3) When water is flowing over the roof and air is flowing inside the roof cavity simultaneously:
dTwf
b dxh~(Twf - Taf) = [(0tQ¢l(t) - h0(Twf- Ta) - he(Twf - Ta) - R]b dx + rh~fCw ~ dx, (10)

and
b dxh~(Twf- Tar) = m"~fC a -dTwf
~ x dx + h ' ( T a f - Tj)b dx. (11)

Equations (10) and (11) can be solved as

dTwf
d---x + al Twf + a2 Tar = fit), (12)

dTaf
dx + bl Twf+ b2Taf = g(t), (13)

where
- b ( h o + he + h~) bh6
al = rhwfC~ , a2 = rhwfCw,
-bh'o b(h; + h~)
b I = rhafCa, b2 - ghafC a '

f(t) = [~tz)cI(t) + (ho + he)Ta - R]b /rhwfC~,

bh'
g(t) = ~ Tj.

The expressions for Twf and Taf can easily be derived from the above equations. The rate of heat
carried away by the flowing water and air can be obtained as
Oaf + ~..f = thafCa(Tafo -- T~) + rhwfCw(T.f0 -- T ~ ) , (14)
where
Twf0= Twfl~=L and Taro= TaflxffiL.
 KUMAR et al.: COOLING TECHNIQUES IN A PASSIVE SOLAR HOUSE 677

The heat entering the room through the roof is given by the conduction equation

(15)
QR = J ~ x ,<:,<, = h,(Tslx=, s - Ta),

where, Tj is the temperature distribution in various layers of the roof, which can be obtained by
solving the one dimensional heat conduction equation

(16)
pjCj Ox 2 (gt "

In a steady-state condition, the solution of eqn (16) can be expressed as

Tj(x, t) = Tjo(X) + ~ Tj, exp(ino~t). (17a)

~=1

After substituting eqn (17a) in eqn (16) and equating the time independent and dependent parts
of both sides of the above equation and after algebraic simplification, one gets

Tj(x, t) = Ajx + Bj + ~ [Cj, exp(flj, x) + Dj, exp(- flj, x)]exp(inot ), (17b)

n=]

where

flj.=[---~j
ncopjcj
] (l+i). ,i:

Aj, Bi, Cj, and Dj, are constants and can be determined by using the boundary conditions. In the
case of a multi-layered wall/roof (Fig. 2), the energy balance equations can be solved assuming the
continuity equations. If the floor is in contact with the ground, an additional boundary condition
should be taken into account

Tj(x--*oo, t) is finite.

At the interfaces, x =xj and x = xj+t, the temperature and heat flux must be continuous, i.e.

T(x, t)l~=xj = T(x, t)lx= <j+,,

- K j C3T I x = xj O T2 x = xj
Wx = KJ + ' - ~ x + '

where j and j + 1 refer to the interface between the j t h and ( / + 1)th layers of the roof and walls.

(b) Walls
In the present case, three types of walls--solid, air cavity and cow dung slurry filled in cavity
walls--have been considered for the evaluation of the enclosed room air temperature. The energy
balance for the exposed surface and the surface which is in contact with room air can be written
as follows.

(i) Solid wall (brick wall) (Fig. 2d):

- KiOTi
"-~x x=0 = aif, Ii(t) -- ho(Titx=o- Ta), (18)

and

Qww = K'OT'ox = h,(T~ - TR). (19)

678 KUMAR et al.: COOLING TECHNIQUES IN A PASSIVE SOLAR HOUSE

(ii) Cavity wall (air~cow dung slurry) (Fig. 2e,f):

I n this case, there will be an a d d i t i o n a l energy b a l a n c e e q u a t i o n in c o m p a r i s o n to the solid wall
which can be written as

= -

c~T,+, ] (20)
= x x2'
where (7,. is the c o n d u c t a n c e o f air o r c o w d u n g slurry filled in cavity p r o v i d e d in the wall cavity
a n d i refers to the east, west, n o r t h a n d s o u t h walls, f~ is a term signifying sunshading, i.e. f~ = 1
m e a n s no s h a d i n g a n d f~ = 0 m e a n s 100% shading. Ii(t) is the r a d i a t i o n on the i t h wall a n d can
be e v a l u a t e d b y the Liu a n d J o r d o n f o r m u l a , Duffle a n d B e c k m a n [10], as in T a b l e 2.

(c) Glass windows

T h e rate o f h e a t flux entering the r o o m t h r o u g h the glass w i n d o w can be written as

Qo = Ag[Ki(t)fw - Ug(TR - T,)] d u r i n g sunshine h o u r s

= U g ( T R - T,) d u r i n g off sunshine hours, (21)

where fw is a f a c t o r which d e p e n d s u p o n the c u r t a i n which has been used o r not. In the case o f
a curtain, fw = 0.15, otherwise fw = 1.

(d) Doors (wooden)

T h e rate o f h e a t t r a n s f e r r e d t h r o u g h the d o o r m a t e r i a l f r o m inside the r o o m to the outside o r
vice-versa is given by

OD = Awh'd(TR -- Ta). (22)

(e) Floor
In this case, the h e a t c o n d u c t e d t h r o u g h the floor o f the h o u s e in a s t e a d y state c o n d i t i o n is given
by
Of = AfU~(TR - Ta). (23)

( f ) Ventilation~infiltration
T h e h e a t flux leaving the r o o m due to v e n t i l a t i o n a n d infiltration is given by

O r = V o + V l ( T R - Ta) , (24)

where V0 = 2 4 6 3 M . ( q + q0)ARH,

Vl = Ma(q + q0)(C, + 1.88 A R H ) ( T R - Ta),

and

q0 = 0, w i t h o u t infiltration, i.e. the r o o m enclosure is air leak p r o o f ,

> 0 with infiltration, i.e. there is a l e a k a g e o f r o o m air regularly,
t/ - 0 w i t h o u t ventilation, i.e. the d o o r s / w i n d o w s are closed for b l o c k a g e o f r o o m air to go out,

Table 2. Monthly average hourly solar radiation on 4 walls (W/m2) of Jodhpur (India) in the month of June (Bansal and
Minke [2])
Hour 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Total 445 695 743 684 560 389 193 90 89 86 82 75 64
East Diffuse 64 75 82 86 89 90 90 90 89 86 82 75 64
Total 64 75 82 86 89 90 193 389 560 685 743 695 445
West Diffuse 64 75 82 86 89 90 90 90 89 86 82 75 64
Total 64 75 82 86 182 226 241 226 182 86 82 75 64
South Diffuse 64 75 82 86 89 90 90 90 89 86 82 75 64
Total 221 275 253 213 89 90 90 90 89 213 253 275 221
North Diffuse 64 75 82 86 89 90 90 90 89 86 82 75 64
 KUMAR et al.: COOLING TECHNIQUES IN A PASSIVE SOLAR HOUSE 679

Table 3. Index of thermal comfort for normal and treated roof

Normal roof Roof with air and water flow
TRrnin TR~x TRmin TRmax
Sample no. Different walls (°C) (°C) IOC (°C) (°C) IOC
1. Wall with cow dung 23.40 34.95 0.198 21.21 31.89 0.201
slurry (dw = 0.14 m,
dcd = 0.03 m)
2. Wall with cow dung 23.39 33.65 0.180 21.10 30.56 0.183
slurry (dw= 0.22 m,
ded= 0.03 m)
3. Wall with air gap 23.41 35.86 0.210 21.28 32.56 0.209
(solid wall = 0.14 m,
air gap = 0.05 m)
4. Wall with air gap 23.40 35.10 0.200 21.24 32.01 0.202
(solid wall = 0.22 m,
air gap = 0.05 m)
5. Solid wall, 0.14m 24.10 37.68 0.219 23.2 35.62 0.211
6. Solid wall, 0.22 m 23.85 36.98 0.216 22.61 34.68 0.210
7. Solid wall, 0.34 m 23.77 35.58 0.199 22.2 33.78 0.207
8. Ambient air 27.82 44.81 0.234 -- -- --

> 0 with ventilation, i.e. the r o o m air is m o v i n g o u t t h r o u g h d o o r s a n d w i n d o w s whenever it

is r e q u i r e d to achieve t h e r m a l c o m f o r t .

N o w , the energy b a l a n c e e q u a t i o n for the enclosed r o o m air t e m p e r a t u r e can be written as

[the rates o f h e a t flux gained f r o m the roof, the different walls, the w i n d o w s a n d the doors]

dTR
= MaC a~- + [the rate o f heat lost to the floor, i s o t h e r m a l mass]

+ [the rate o f h e a t carried a w a y due to ventillation/infiltration]. (25)

Since the rate o f h e a t flux entering the r o o m is p e r i o d i c in n a t u r e due to the p e r i o d i c a l b e h a v i o u r

o f s o l a r intensity a n d a m b i e n t air t e m p e r a t u r e , the r o o m air t e m p e r a t u r e can also be written as

TR : TR0 "~ ~ TR, exp(ino~t), (26)

n=l

where TR0 a n d TR, can be o b t a i n e d f r o m the time i n d e p e n d e n t a n d time d e p e n d e n t p a r t s o f e q n (25).

E q u a t i o n (25) has been first solved b y neglecting the effect o f i s o t h e r m a l mass, a n d it was
o b s e r v e d t h a t the h e a t c a p a c i t y o f the enclosed air can be neglected in c o m p a r i s o n to the heat
c a p a c i t y o f the i s o t h e r m a l mass. F o r simplification, an i s o t h e r m a l m a s s has been considered as
e q u i v a l e n t to a w a t e r m a s s due to its large h e a t capacity.

INDEX OF THERMAL COMFORT

T h e index o f t h e r m a l c o m f o r t o r l o a d levelling ( I O C ) can be expressed in terms o f r o o m air

t e m p e r a t u r e as

Tm~x- Tmin
I O C = Tmaxq- Tmin (27)

T h e value o f I O C s h o u l d be a m i n i m u m for the best l o a d levelling a l o n g with r e d u c e d TRr,ax a n d

TRmin. The c a l c u l a t e d values o f I O C for different cases have been given in T a b l e 3.

NUMERICAL COMPUTATIONS, RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

F o r the n u m e r i c a l c o m p u t a t i o n s o f the enclosed r o o m air t e m p e r a t u r e , eqn (25) has been used.

N u m e r i c a l c o m p u t a t i o n s have been p e r f o r m e d for the following cases:
680 KUMAR et al.: COOLING TECHNIQUES IN A PASSIVE SOLAR HOUSE

(a) Solid wall and

(i) normal roof,
(ii) air flowing inside the roof cavity,
(iii) water flowing over the roof, and
(iv) air and water both flowing inside and over the roof, respectively.
(b) Air and water both flowing inside the cavity and over the roof and
(i) solid wall,
(ii) air cavity wall, and
(iii) cow dung slurry filled in cavity wall.
A separate computer programming was developed for the time dependent and independent parts
of the different cases using a matrix method. The number of harmonics is taken as n = 6, [4].
Further, the index of thermal comfort (IOC) is computed by using the maximum and minimum
temperatures of the enclosed room air temperature.
The following physical properties of the roof/walls components and heat transfer coefficients
have been used for evaluating the enclosed room air temperature:

Different Parameters Used for Calculations

(a) Physical properties of roof/walls material, Singh [7]

Mud- Brick
Concrete phushkat tiles Water
Thermal conductivity (W/m °C) 0.72 0.52 0.72
Density (kg/m3) 1858.0 2050.6 1922.4 1000.0
Specific heat (J/kg °C) 655.2 1840.0 837.4 4190.0
Thickness (m) 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.005
tA mixture of soil, dried grass and water.

(a) Normal roof with air cavity

h0 = 22.78 W/m 2 °C, U = 3.16 W/m s °C (for air cavity),
hin -- 5.7-8.00 W/m °C, (heat flow downwards) (for roof and walls),
E - 0.9,
AR = 61.11 W/m 2.

(b) Roof with water film

b = 10.0 m, ht,, = 285.98 W/m 2 °C,
L = 6.0m, v=3.5m/s,
0t, = 0.0, ~tr = 0.54 (water film).
~, (relative h u m i d i t y ) = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5.

(c) Walls
Thickness of wall
dw = 0.14m, 0.22 m, 0.34 m.
air gap = 0.05 m and cow dung slurry (doa)= 0.03 m.
Numerical values of conductance for the air cavity and cow dung slurry filled in the cavity wall
are taken for 0.05 and 0.03 m, respectively. Their thickness is considered to be the same for all cases.
The monthly average hourly variation of the beam and diffuse radiation of Jodhpur, Rajasthan
is given in Table 2. The hourly variation o f the room air temperature with different roof treatments
and with a solid wall have been shown in Fig. 3. It is observed that there is a sharp decrease in
the maxima and minima of the room air temperature due to the evaporation processes over the
 KUMAR et al.: COOLING TECHNIQUES IN A PASSIVE SOLAR HOUSE 681

40 Normal roof
/ ~ Roof with air flow
/

ou
35;
~
/ Roof with water film
Roof with air f l o w
and water film
t..

e¢
(3.
E
30
E
O
P

--J 25

1
20 ~
0 4 8 12 16 20 2l,
- Hours
Fig. 3. Hourly variation of room temperature with different roof treatments.

roof with a water film. Both air flow inside the r o o f cavity and water flow over the r o o f give the
best result (Fig. 3). Further, there is a sharp increase in room air temperature between 8-10 a.m.
It is due to the fact that the solar intensity is a m a x i m u m on the east wall during this period which
gets trapped inside. The room temperature also decreases due to the thermal losses through the
windows, in the absence of solar radiation on the east and west walls.
The effects of solid wall thickness, air cavity and cow dung slurry filled in cavity on the index
of thermal comfort (IOC) for a non-airconditioned r o o m having a normal r o o f and both air flowing
inside the cavity as well as water over the roof have been given in Table 3. It is inferred from the
table that
(i) both air flowing through the r o o f cavity and water flowing over the roof is the best option
to minimize heat entering the house through the roof.
(ii) the best way to reduce the thermal flux through the walls is to use a thin layer of cow dung
slurry inside the wall cavity.
(iii) the thickness of the wall with cow dung slurry filled in the wall cavity has little effect on
the r o o m air temperature. Therefore, this traditional method can easily be integrated into modern
architectural practices, especially in pile-construction.
(iv) the variation in TRmin for different treatments is less as compared to TRmax. The index of
thermal comfort (IOC) is a minimum for a normal r o o f with cow dung slurry, but TRmaxis high
as compared to the r o o f with air and water treatments. Hence, the IOC can not exclusively be used
to judge thermal comfort inside the room.
(v) in general, the r o o m temperature decreases with an increase in wall thickness. It may not
be economical to have a thick wall of the order of 0.34 m. A better way will be to use the cow
dung slurry/air cavity inside the wall of order of 0.14m.

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1. M. S. Sodha, N. K. Bansal, A. Kumar, P. K. Bansal and M. A. S. Malik, Solar Passive Building Science. Pergamon,
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682 KUMAR et al.: COOLING TECHNIQUES IN A PASSIVE SOLAR HOUSE

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