Experimental study of the influence of the vents on the thermal performance of a Trombe wall

• Experimental study of a Trombe wall made of cellular concrete and its adjacent room. • Laboratory study conducted under conditions typical of the intermediate season. • Influence of vent size and configuration on performance. • A substantial reduction in vent surface area is necessary to impact behavior. This article presents an experimental study of a Trombe wall made of cellular concrete, associated with different vent configurations. The experiments were conducted in the laboratory using a Trombe wall connected to an adjacent room, under conditions of an intermediate season. The measurements focus on temperature and heat flux measured in various areas of the facility. Five configurations are compared: one with the vents fully open, three with reduced vent surface areas and different positions, and one with the vents fully closed. The impact of the number and position of the vents on the thermal behavior and efficiency of the Trombe wall is measured and analyzed. The results indicate that only the configuration with the vents fully closed exhibits a very different thermal behavior compared to the other configurations. In this configuration, the insulating properties of cellular concrete result in a minimal temperature increase in the room, making it an appropriate solution for maintaining occupant comfort even during summer conditions. Configurations with partially closed vents show generally similar behavior, except when there are significant reductions in vent surface. To effectively limit convective transfer with partial vent closure, a substantial reduction in vent surface (at least 60%) is required.