One of the major shortcomings of wind towers often brought up by researchers is the sensitivity of these towers to changes in wind direction. This paper verifies this supposition and compares the performance of different tower configurations to a modeled space with windows on opposite sides referred to here as the base model. The study showed that wind towers are less sensitive to changes in wind directions than the base model. However, considerable differences exist between the different configurations of the wind towers depending on the their height [Ref. 1], location within the building, and nature of surrounding buildings. Another issue that is also neglected in most of the available performance assessments is that wind towers are traditionally used in places of high urban densities where surrounding buildings obstruct free stream air flow. Compared to the base model some wind scoops performed better in a shielded setting, proving the adequacy of such systems in low-rise urban environments. However, great attention should be given to the design of the head of the tower as well as the relationship between the inlets and outlets to provide maximum air flow.
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