Designed House Cooling System - Research Paper Example

 A Designed House Cooling Method Project’s requirements specifications The problem of uncomfortable rooms has been brought about by high temperatures, high humidity and lack of fresh air. The designing of houses in areas with such weather conditions calls for measures to ensure comfort in a house unit to be constructed. An Minh lies in a hot, humid climate all year with alternating dry and wet six months seasons each. The climate of An Minh calls for the construction of a housing system that will enhance a natural cooling process and reduce moisture in the house (humidity). Bhattacharjee states that temperature, humidity and air movement are primary climatic elements affecting the comfort of human beings. Therefore, the design to be devised will take into consideration the maintenance of cool air in the house, minimize humidity and enhance air circulation. The inputs and outputs pertaining to the solution in regard to An Minh cooling housing system are critical to be discussed in this context. In this regard, the requirements under consideration are: - Reducing the temperature in the house, Enhancing air circulation, Reducing relative and absolute humidity and Provision of secure and comfortable housing to the Vietnamese families. Prioritized list of features in the solution The design to be improvised is affordable and readily available. According to Givoni, countries with hot, humid climates call for a building layout that provides a potential for cross ventilation. The following outlines the priority features in the solving of the housing problem in An Minh with respect to obtaining a serene environment. Roofing will constitute the use of light reflecting fabrics interwoven on coconut leaves to reduce cost. The essence of using reflective materials is to minimize the level of absorption thereby, minimizing the amount of heat to the housing unit. The roof will be narrow and tall to enhance air circulation and give room for air movements; it will also be extended to provide extra room for shading and less heat radiation thus, minimize heat from the sun entering the house. Cool roofs are remarkably effective in the reduction of power consumption for cooling system. Double ceiling incorporating readily available materials and extends with the roof to encase and prevent any heat absorption to the house. The ceiling insulation will be waterproof and heat resistant material like old newspapers or clothes. There will be an extractor fan designed to be installed ten meters above the ground in the house.1 This will enhance air circulation by using air from outside to cool the house. The fan is an appliance used for ventilation of a room or any enclosed spaced.2 It extracts air and moisture hence keeping the house less humid. Warm air rises as it is lighter than cool air, thus extracted by the fan placed in the house. Consequently, the sun heats the air in the roof space; therefore, the presence of the fan is highly critical as it will extract the warm, humid air from the house before it circulates. The windows will be placed on opposite sides of the housing unit, and the orientation of the house will be directing towards the direction of summer winds. The positioning is in such a manner as to enhance entry of cool air in the morning and facilitate maximum air circulation when it is hot. The windows will be accompanied by shutters which will enhance air circulation and contribute to the cooling process. The ceiling and interior roofing of the house will be insulated with readily available materials like old newspapers, clothes, shoes, and rice husks. This will maintain the cool air in the house as it will not allow heat from outside to enter into the housing unit. The use of evaporative window technique is also critical in cooling system; this can use old clothing materials on the large windows devised for air circulation.3 Consequently, the windows will be enlarged, placed above the plants outside and obliquely designed at 20o- 120o to the wall to enhance cooling system.4 They will also contain shutters that enhance control of sunlight and ensure air circulation. The lighting system will be designed to replace the bulbs with energy saving technique like, the energy saving gas bulbs and compact fluorescent lamps that give sufficient light but emit less heat. The extractor fan designed is critical and highly crucial in the sense that it enhances cooling of the house and employs cost saving initiative. This design employs a fan that will use the air from outside for propulsion. Moving air has the capacity to move devices using the centrifugal forces; therefore, the extractor fan will use exterior air to operate and in the process expel the internal warm and humid air.5 The use of this kind of extractor fan will save cost of maintenance and contribute in CO2 emission reduction thus contributing to a greener future by the use of energy efficient and environmental friendly system. With respect to this design of cooling house process, the constraints will be encountered in the realisation of substantial roofing height and installation of the extractor fan. The obstacle of fueling the extractor fan has been solved by using a model that uses the external air to function and remove the internal hot and humid air. On the same note, the extractor fan does not entail much maintenance processes, thereby the owners of the houses will be well placed to maintain the cooling system. Further, the maintenance of insulation materials will not be an easy matter, the use of newspapers, and old clothes will not be without challenges due to moisture contents in the area. The advantage is that, the material will be designed in the insulation of the ceiling and be enhanced to reduce their ability to absorb moisture. Criteria for providing solutions With respect to air circulation, the most critical condition to the realisation of effective structure for air circulation is windows positioning.6 The tall roofing structure incorporated with the extractor fan will also provide an effective air circulating process. Insulating relates to cooling and cutting down cost of cooling houses. This is an effective way to realize an effective, natural cooling system without the use of power gadgets. The technical aspects in the house unit maintenance will entail the extractor fan; this will be availed during the installation process. The use of extended roof comes in handy with an extra advantage of reducing heat radiation into the house and at the same time ensures cool shade around the house thus, enhancing a cool, serene air around the house. Therefore, this will ensure air entering the house through the shutters or open windows is much cooler with respect to the outer ar. Maintenance will entail replacement of worn out materials for insulation or wall structure. The best time to do this is during the early morning, in the warm seasons of the year. The upgrading system has been employed to enhance clear application of the cooling system and its effective realisation. There is a critical need to minimize the exposure of wall surfaces towards the East or West to reduce intense solar radiation.7 This will enhance reduction of direct sunlight contributing to heat radiation from the sun getting into the house; windows ought to face to the North and South sides. Heat from the sun is first absorbed by the outer walls and roofing materials then, transmitted into the house. Thereby, by reducing exposure to the direct sunlight will enhance the reduction in transmitted heat into the house. Read More