Passive cooling of foundation

[simplemath2]

The design employs hollow duct in the foundation. They are supposed to take away heat by natural convection to keep foundation cool if pressure vessel on top of is hot(350F).

The ducts are placed horizontally through the foundation. In this way , I am doubting how natural convection can develop and how effective it is.

What is the best way to enhance natural convection?

Thanks

 

[Zesti]

Put a vertical chimney on the ducts.

Warm air inside the chimney, cool air around it, density difference , driving force for airflow

The higher the cimney, the higher the driving force.

(probably a lot more to be said about this but a chimney is the way to go I think)

 

[Twoballcane]

"I am doubting how natural convection can develop and how effective it is."

hot air rises, that is natural convection...if you can add more suface area such as fins, you can more Q out of it.



Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."

 

[simplemath2]

Thanks Zesti and Twoballcane.

Twoballcane: I have doubt on "horizontally placed duct" in the foundation and how much help they can offer.In this way there is no apparent circulation.

Zesti: Chimney or similar measures difinitely works. Just never saw one chimney for this purpose. I tried to look for a simple and effective way.

Thanks.

 

[chicopee]

Your description of your design is too brief to make a statement, however,it seems that you want to conserve energy so about looking into windmills on the duct outlet to establish flow direction and better air circulation in the ducting system.

 

[chicopee]

Instead of windmills I meant wind trubines

 

[FredRosse]

Wind turbines would slow down the natural circulation flow. The chimney is to proper solution to promote extra circulation.

This type of problem should be quantified, as often one finds that a cooling concept, that has not been engineered, is either way too oversized, or way too under designed.