The thermal behavior of Trombe wall system with venetian blind: An experimental and numerical study

• Dynamical model for the thermal behavior of a building with the novel wall.
• The model was experimentally validated and applied to classical Trombe wall.
• Thermal behavior comparisons between the classic Trombe wall and the novel wall.
• PMV value of the room with the novel wall was approximately −1.0 in the daytime.
• The maximum temperature difference between the two rooms is 5.5 °C.

The increasing interest in studying a Trombe wall with venetian blind (VBTW) has heightened the need for computational tools suitable to predict its thermal behavior. In this paper, a dynamic numerical model of a building with a VBTW was developed. Experiment has been conducted to study the temperature field of the whole building system in cold weather. It was found that the simulation results were in good agreement with the experimental data. The comparisons between the room with the classic Trombe wall and that with the VBTW were made based on the proposed model. The results demonstrated: the optimum time to open air vents of the VBTW was approximately 1.5 h earlier than that of the classic Trombe wall after sunrise; the air average temperature for room with the VBTW was about 5.5 °C higher compared to that with the classic Trombe wall in the daytime; the heat loss of the VBTW was smaller at night. The average predicted mean vote for the three rooms (room with the VBTW, room with the classic Trombe wall and room without Trombe wall) were −1.0, −1.5 and −2.2 in the daytime respectively. In conclusion, a building integrated with the VBTW can not only reduce heating energy needs but also achieve an acceptable condition of comfort in cold weather.