Thermal performance analysis of a traditional passive cooling system in Dezful, Iran

• Published in: Tunnelling and underground space technology Vol. 83; pp. 291 - 302
• Main Authors: Sadoughi, Arezou, Kibert, Charles, Sadeghi, Fariba Mirmohammad, Jafari, Soheil
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2019; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Air conditioners; Air conditioning; Air temperature; Buildings; Cooling; Cooling systems; Electric power demand; Electricity consumption; Energy consumption; Energy efficiency; Houses; Mosques; Passive cooling; Public spaces; Residential energy; Shavadan; System effectiveness; Thermal behavior; Thermal comfort; Thermodynamic properties; Tunnels; Underground construction; Underground space; Iran; Underground space; Passive cooling; Energy efficiency; Shavadan; Thermal behavior
• ISSN: 0886-7798; 1878-4364
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tust.2018.09.024

•The effectiveness of the passive design structure with natural ventilation for hot and semi-humid climate is studied.•Comprehensive database for temperature recording with a precise interval (2 h) shows temperature stability over 6 months.•The significant difference between indoor and outdoor temperature over 6 months shows the potential of Shavadan in passive heating and cooling.•Deeper spaces with multiple shafts presented a better thermal performance compared to spaces with less depth and one shaft.•Shavadan is a passive energy efficient system applicable to new construction. This paper presents a case study research to analyze thermal performance of a type of Iranian underground living space, called Shavadan. Shavadan is part of building typology in the city of Dezful, southeast of Iran. The focus of the study is to introduce a passive design structure to further demonstration of the significance of the thermal performance analysis of Shavadan and the design effectiveness. Shavadan design structure, the main strategy of architects and building construction practitioners in the past, plays an important role to increase the indoor thermal comfort of buildings in hot and humid climates. Shavadans were built underneath houses, schools, mosques and public spaces at depths of 6–10 m, where the thermal behavior of the earth is almost stable. But this approach is totally forgotten in today’s buildings and people do not know how to use it, even if they desire to. Based on a measuring ambient air temperatures, in this paper the thermal behavior of five settings in different parts of Dezful is studied, from June to December. Moreover, the temperature stabilities of various Shavadans were compared to evaluate the architectural effectiveness of Shavadans in terms of the complex passive systems. The results show that it is useful to consider passive strategy as an auxiliary system to reduce domestic energy use in hot semi-humid climates where there is considerable electricity demand for air conditioning in the over 40°-Celsius-heat of these zones.