Exploring the Natural Ventilation System of Biomimetic Solar-Powered African Termite Mounds Using Computer Simulated Models for Varied Building Configurations

With the drastic increase in energy consumption and CO2 emissions in recent decades, there is an urgent need for more efficient buildings. To aid in these efforts, this research explored a biomimetic approach to building ventilation by analyzing the natural ventilation system in solar-powered African termite mounds (ATM) using nine building configurations with the aid of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software. Eight different building orientations were simulated, each with two wall opening percentages, and two building depths, and applied to both midrise and high-rise structures. Results show that operative temperatures of the ATM ventilation systems were significantly lower compared to the conventional models by seven degrees. Additionally, there is a consistent result of lower wind velocities for the ATM ventilation system in all types of building footprints tested. The bio-mimetic approach with the ATM-inspired ventilation system provides a practical blueprint for an energy efficient future in building ventilation system design.