This is the first of a series of four papers that describe a 3-year EU-funded research project into the application of passive downdraught evaporative cooling to nondomestic buildings. In this paper various evaporative cooling techniques are reviewed. By spraying fine droplets of water at the top of atria, a downdraught of air cooled by evaporation can be produced. Such direct evaporative cooling using an evaporation tower appears to be a suitable approach for partly displacing the need for air-conditioning in hot, dry climates. It can satisfy fresh air requirements and reduce or eliminate demand for mechanical cooling. Examples of this cooling technique in Southern Europe and the Middle East have already demonstrated its operation and potential energy savings. However, limitations, primarily due to control of the system, have been identified. This introductory paper presents the theoretical basis of evaporative cooling, reviews some historical precedents, and discusses their relative strengths and weaknesses. Three further papers in this series will disseminate the main findings of the project.

No abstract

This is the second in a series of four papers that describe a 3-year EU-funded research project into the application of passive downdraught evaporative cooling (PDEC) to non-domestic buildings. The paper describes the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for modelling PDEC. It describes the modelling techniques used and applica tion to investigate the performance of a hypothetical office building in Seville. From the CFD analysis it is con cluded that: (i) CFD is invaluable for analysing the venti lation performance of PDEC buildings, (ii) wind buffering and appropriate aperture sizes are essential to maintain well-regulated flows, and (iii) a top-down ventilation strategy performs equally well in upflowing mode, e.g. during night venting.

No abstract

Summary A methodology for the validation of dynamic thermal models of buildings has been presented. The three techniques, analytical verification, intermodel comparisons and empirical validation have been described and their relative merits assessed by reference to previous validation work on ESP, SERI-RES. DEROB and BLAST. Previous empirical validation work on these models has been reviewed. This research has shown that numerous sources of error have existed in previous studies leading to uncertainty in model predictions. The effects of these errors has meant that none of the previous empirical validation studies would have produced conclusive evidence of internal errors in the models themselves. An approach towards developing tests to empirically validate dynamic thermal models is given.