WIND INTERCEPTION FUNNELS
Within the framework of the European Horizon 2020 program, OptArch, the effectiveness of the funnels in the “House of the Winds” was examined through wind flow simulation.
The funnels, built into the mass of the walls of the enclosure, function as vents: they deflect the wind that enters them, creating a curtain in front of the corresponding openings of the house (windows, doors). The air that comes out of the funnel deflects the headwind, which would otherwise invade the interior of the spaces.
The shape of the funnels had been determined empirically at the time (1993), without any performance study. The interdisciplinary research, carried out within the framework of the above program, aimed to identify, in a first stage, the efficiency and then the optimal position and shape of the funnels, accompanying a pre-selected opening. The effectiveness of the funnels was confirmed and interesting data regarding their profile and orientation emerged, useful for future applications. The main conclusion is that by applying simulation programs one can today achieve optimization of the implementation of similar bioclimatic applications at the design stage of a project.
ARCHITECTURAL STUDY: A. KOUVELA, architect and engineer
