Experimental Investigation of a Small Passive Solar System

The present study deals with the thermal energy analysis of a passive solar heating system, which contains a massive wall (Trombe wall) of concrete with the dimensions of 0.9 m (width)×1.4 m (height)×0.1 m (thickness) inside a test room in south direction, covered with a single and clear 6 mm thick glass; the external dimensions of the test room have been 1.5 m (length)×1.0 m (width)×1.5 m (height). Experiments on the thermal system have been executed using six widths of air gap, which varied between 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 cm in January 2017. The passive solar system has been built according to the full dimensions in Iraq at the Kirkuk Technical College, located at E44°50’ and N34°45’. Experiments have been carried out for six different depths of the air channel in actual weather conditions. Ventilation energy has been calculated by using the airflow rate equation. For each test, the energy has been calculated according to the weather for one day, with the hottest weather conditions. The results have been compared to choose the best case for this test room.