THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF THE CLEAR BLOCK WALL FOR VENTILATION

Abstract

This research proposes a new type of clear block wall (CBW) based on natural ventilation to compare the temperature reduction caused by heat transfer into a building and indoor light, increasing the ventilation efficiency. A house with a single glass wall (SGW) and another with a CBW were considered. The SGW was composed of a clear glass pane. The CBW had three block types, a translucent upper block that served to ventilate the outside, a middle block that served as the vent gap, and a lower block that acted as an air vent from the test house, and each block was 0.20 × 0.20 × 0.08 m in size. The air gap and block openings were 0.068 m in width. The experimental comparative thermal performance between the houses with an SGW and CBW had a surface area of approximately 1.60 m². The wall faced south to obtain the most sunlight in the afternoon. Data were collected every 15 minutes. The experimental results showed that the CBW could reduce heat flux through the façade wall up to 58 W/m². With the CBW, velocity field measurements indicated that the airflow rate varied between 0.010- and 0.021 m³/s. The indoor illumination level varied between 300- and 1,054 lx. The indoor temperature of the room equipped with the CBW was lower than that equipped with the SGW by 1.9°C on average and up to 2.9°C while receiving the natural light and reduced glare. A proposed configuration of the CBW is recommended for architecture.