Wind Catcher Cooling Performance Including Heat Loads: An Experimental Study

This study experimentally investigates the cooling performance of a single-opening wind catcher model under varying orientations and wind speeds. The wind catcher was connected to a horizontal cavity representing an indoor space, with a rear outlet simulating a window opening. Electric resistors were installed at the catcher shaft and in the middle of the cavity length to simulate the building’s heat loads. Experiments were conducted in a wind tunnel, where K-type thermocouples were employed to record temperature variations for both closed and open cavity end. Five wind speeds (4–9 m/s) and five orientations (0°–180°) were examined. Under the closed-cavity configuration, the maximum temperature reduction (cooling) of 4 °C occurred at an orientation of 180°, at which the catcher opening was positioned on the leeward side. This orientation created a low-pressure region at the catcher’s inlet, located within the wake of the model, which combined with a favorable vertical temperature gradient enhanced suction-driven cooling. In the open-cavity configuration, cooling was observed for all orientations and wind speeds. The greatest temperature reduction of 9 °C occurred at the 135° orientation, whereas other orientations produced temperature drops from 2 °C to 6 °C.