Passively
cooling incoming air before it is drawn into the building can be achieved by
evaporative cooling and/or geothermal cooling.
evaporative cooling
If the inlet
air is taken from the side of the building facing away from the sun, and is
drawn over a cooling pond or spray of mist or through large areas of vegetation,
it can end up several degrees cooler than outside air temperature by the time
it enters occupied spaces.
geothermal cooling
Inlet air
can also be cooled by drawing it through underground pipes or through an
underground plenum (air space). The air loses some of its heat to the surfaces
over which it passes. Underground, these
surfaces tend to be at roughly the annual average temperature, providing
cooling in summer and warming in winter.
This strategy is best for dry climates, as moisture in dark cool places
can lead to poor indoor air quality.
Many early versions of geothermal cooling used rock stores or gravel beds for their thermal storage capacity; however, the additional resistance to air flow was quite high, often requiring a powered fan or pump. Large open plenums can provide almost as much cooling or warming with only minimal obstruction.
Many early versions of geothermal cooling used rock stores or gravel beds for their thermal storage capacity; however, the additional resistance to air flow was quite high, often requiring a powered fan or pump. Large open plenums can provide almost as much cooling or warming with only minimal obstruction.
Information Source: http://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/buildings/wind-ventilation