A feasibility study of passive ventilation via origami-driven stack effect

This study introduces an innovative ventilation system, which leverages an origami-inspired structure to improve and regulate natural airflow driven by the stack effect, with applications in underground mines and buildings. The proposed system retrofits chimneys and/or exhaust risers with expandable origami units that dynamically modulate their geometric features (height and vent area) to control buoyancy-driven ventilation independent of external wind or solar conditions. The efficacy of the proposed concept is evaluated using a three-dimensional computational model that focuses on how the geometric design of the deployable stack and varying atmospheric conditions affect the volumetric airflow through the stack in both its fully expanded and contracted states. The results show that the ventilation rate increases by up to 25\% with each doubling of the height of the origami stack. % These findings highlight the potential of leveraging origami-inspired structures for adaptable and controllable energy-efficient ventilation, which is particularly beneficial in energy-intensive applications and/or remote, off-grid locations.