Performance analysis of a passive cooling system using underground channel (Naghb)

The present study, aims at introducing and studying the effect of an old and specific type of house cooling system in Bam city. Primary of the system is similar to Baud-Geers (wind tower) but in the mentioned system, there is an additional channel connected to Baud-Geer which is called Naghb. Naghb in fact is an underneath channel that uses the ground humidity to cool the air. Baud-Geer input wind passes through the Naghb and evaporation cooling makes it cooler in the Naghb. Therefore, the cooling effect of Baud-Geer enhances. Unfortunately, all of Baud-Geers and Naghbs in Bam destroyed in the earthquake happened on December 26, 2003 and only ruins of them are left, hence in order to study Naghb performance in the present study, a one-dimensional model is presented and the conservation equations of energy, mass and momentum have been solved simultaneously. In order to evaluate the model, a simple experimental setup is made on the basis of real dimensions of Naghb. The model results reveal the ability of Naghb in cooling the air during hot and dry months in Bam.