SAVEHEAT: Solar-assisted natural ventilation with heat pipe heat recovery

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 95.0871

Key words (English)

Solar chimney; natural ventilation; heat recovery

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: JOR3-CT95-0019

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 5.1 Nonnuclear energies

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Universidade do Porto (P), Helsinky University of Technology (FIN), University of Nottingham (GB), isoterix ltd (GB)

Abstract (English)

The project aimed to develop a novel heat recovery system for use in naturally ventilated buildings using passive stack ventilation.
Objectives of the project were:
· To develop a heat pipe heat recovery unit suitable for use in natural ventilated systems,
· To develop solutions for assisting ventilation flows with solar and/or wind energy,
· To test and evaluate the performance of an optimised natural ventilation system using heat pipe heat recovery and flow assisting devices.
The project delivers a prototype system and an evaluation of its performance. However, much other knowledge and experience related to the system and its components are achieved as well.
The project was broken down into four work packages:
· Wp1: design and construction of the heat pipe heat recovery system,
· Wp2: design and construction of the ventilation flow assisting and controlling solutions,
· Wp3: optimisation of the system as a whole and
· Wp4: testing and evaluating the performance of the system.
The Swiss partner collaborated in the work packages 2 and 4.
The research work of a passive stack natural ventilation with heat recovery and solar assisted air flow has been carried out and the results of the field measurements are encouraging. Some technical weaknesses have been observed in the pilot plant constructed. This weakness has been analysed and improvements have been proposed. Calculations of the new proposed system have delivered quite promising results. A stage of further development, demostration and finalizing is needed.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 95.0871