A Comprehensive Review of Natural Ventilation through Solar Chimney Applications

2026-02-09T07:35:36+00:00

Natural ventilation is an environmental strategy for the quality of air and for thermal comfort within a building. Out of the countless passive ventilation techniques, the solar chimney has become one popular choice since it transmits solar energy to create air motion. This study groups all the recent improvements in solar chimney applications regarding the design principles, performance measures, and interfacing with other passive mechanisms. Geometric configuration, absorber materials, chimney height, and climatic conditions are the main parameters influencing how efficient a solar chimney can be. Results indicate that, considering these parameters together, it is possible to maximise the airflow rate and thermal comfort levels in houses and commercial buildings. On the other hand, hybrid systems with solar chimneys and earth-to-air heat exchangers, and solar chimneys and wind towers, have shown great prospects for consideration when intending to increase ventilation efficiency. However, besides the opportunities offered by solar chimneys, challenges such as above-scale implementation, integration with current constructions, and level performance under widely varying environmental conditions do exist. Future research includes the standardisation of performance evaluation methods, economic evaluation of solar chimneys, and research on materials for ensuring a better performance level of solar chimneys in different building typologies.

Solar Air Heaters for Agricultural Drying: A Comprehensive Review

2026-04-27T10:05:45+00:00

Agricultural products, particularly perishable commodities, require efficient post-harvest drying techniques to reduce losses and preserve quality. Traditional drying methods, such as open sun drying, are often inefficient and prone to contamination, making solar air heaters (SAHs) a promising alternative. This study reviews the design, development, and performance analysis of various solar air heater configurations used for agricultural drying. Key parameters influencing the efficiency of SAHs—such as collector design, air flow rate, absorber materials, and insulation—are examined. The paper highlights the advantages of indirect and direct drying techniques using SAHs and evaluates their thermal performance under different climatic conditions. Further, it discusses the economic viability of adopting solar drying systems in rural and remote areas, where access to conventional energy sources is limited. The integration of thermal storage units and hybrid systems is also explored to enhance drying consistency during intermittent solar radiation. The review concludes that solar air heaters offer a cost-effective, sustainable, and environmentally friendly solution for agricultural drying, especially in developing countries. Continued innovation in material science and system design is crucial to optimize performance and encourage widespread adoption.

Journal of Advanced Research in Applied Mechanics & Computational Fluid Dynamics

A Comprehensive Review of Natural Ventilation through Solar Chimney Applications

Solar Air Heaters for Agricultural Drying: A Comprehensive Review