Development of a multi-functional ventilated façade with an integrated collector-storage: numerical model and experimental facility

Abstract

The paper reports on physical modeling and experimental evaluation of glazed systems. A multi-functional ventilated façade with an integrated collector-storage is developed and mounted on a test cell facility under real weather conditions. The component uses solar radiation to produce solar heated water flow, which in turn can provide space heating or fulfill domestic hot water demands. Different operational modes of the ventilation channel are analyzed in order to improve the thermal performance of the buildings with glazed façades. The existing numerical platform for the prediction of the thermal performance of buildings and solar systems is used to implement a numerical model to address the multi-functional ventilated façade with integrated collector-storage element. The model uses the measured outdoor data as boundary conditions to obtain predictions by means of a general energy balance in the test room and the façade component. The model permits different levels of simulation depending on the desired precision in each element, applying a modular methodology. In this study, the convection heat transfer coefficient within the parallelepiped storage tank is obtained from a direct numerical simulation (DNS) of turbulent natural convection flow of water, while the remaining empirical information is obtained from the literature for similar geometries.