Background and Objectives:
One of the significant innovations for utilising wind energy, windcatchers create airflow and enhance natural ventilation through air pressure differences. Many traditional houses in hot, arid areas of Iran utilise windcatchers as generators of natural ventilation. However, their often work for windcatcher chambers, with little to no impact on other spaces. The aim of this study is to examine various airflow transfer patterns in traditional windcatcher-equipped houses inYazd, and analyse the effectiveness of each pattern in improving natural ventilation performance.
Materials and Methods:
Through typological analysis, four dominant airflow transfer patterns in Yazd’s traditional houses were identified, with the Rasoulian House randomly selected to model these four patterns. Limited interventions were simulated under identical conditions to evaluate their impact on the amount, velocity, and coverage of airflow. The research methodology combines library studies, CFD simulations using COMSOL Multiphysics software, experimental tests, and numerical calculations based on RANS time-averaged equations.
Results and conclusion:
The simulation results revealed that the airflow transfer pattern from the windcatcher chamber to other spaces significantly influences the amount and velocity of airflow. Among the four dominant patterns, the parallel pattern achieved the highest maximum airflow velocity (19.5 m/s). However, the continuous pattern showed higher airflow velocity at the end of its path (16 m/s) and maintained a consistently higher average velocity throughout its trajectory. This indicates that the continuous pattern can enhance the natural ventilation performance of traditional windcatcher-equipped houses in hot and arid climates.