Experimental assessment and model validation of a vertical cooling panel

- Novel use of a passive vertical cooling panel is tested.
- The relation of ambient temperature with the panel outlet temperature is assessed.
- A mathematical model of the cooling panel has been developed and validated with experimental data.
- The viability of using north façades for cooling panels is confirmed.

The energy used for cooling has increased in recent decades and the predicted future rise in consumption is driving a pressing need for more efficient technologies. Some technologies use environmental sinks as heat dissipation alternatives. This paper presents a model validation with experimental data from a passive vertical cooling panel. The novelty of the solution lies in two main characteristics. The first is that the panel is in a vertical position, and thus the heat sink is the ambient temperature and surrounding instead of the sky temperature. The second is that the panel is north-oriented. Avoiding the sun lengthens the operating time to the entire day, while most studies explore options that are limited to night radiation. The aim is to include this element as a heat exchanger before water moves into the cooling tower from the condenser stage in cooling systems. The results have shown that the model approaches significantly the experimental data with an average error of 1.5% in the dissipated heat. Besides, the cooling capacity of the panel varies from 107 to 230 W/m2 depending on the inlet temperature and fluid flow conditions, confirming the viability of the integration in buildings.