Publication date: October 2016
Source:Building and Environment, Volume 107
Author(s): E. Krüger, L. Fernandes, S. Lange
Indirect Evaporative Cooling Systems (IECS), characterized by the use of wetted roof or wall surfaces for structural cooling without increasing indoor air humidity, consist of an interesting bioclimatic strategy still not quite explored in Brazil. This study aims to evaluate the thermal performance of an IECS by means of experiments with test cells in a subtropical location. Experiments were carried out for Curitiba, Brazil (25.5ºS, 49ºW, 910 a.m.s.l.) with two equal-sized small test cells, first with a control cell without the roof pond and with each test cell fitted with roof ponds, for testing different modes of operation of the IECS. Configurations of the system encompassed: a) conventional roof pond-based IECS; b) roof pond with sealed water reservoir, naturally ventilated and fully shaded (for testing the effect of thermal mass without the evaporative function); c) IECS with an unshaded roof pond. The relative contributions of evaporation and shading have been assessed. The year-round evaluation showed a high cooling performance of the IECS for the subtropical location tested.
Source:Building and Environment, Volume 107
Author(s): E. Krüger, L. Fernandes, S. Lange