INHALATOR
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Inhalator is a communal urban object, for breathing and cooling.
FAIRE 2019 : www.faireparis.com
Project partner : Pavillon de l’Arsenal: www.pavillon-arsenal.com
Technical partner : Elioth, engineering workshop, (Egis Concept).
Publication of the study : spring 2020.
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Inhalator is a shared urban object for breathing and cooling : an iodised air inhaler, a misting device, a fresh air fountain or a cooling wall.
Urban spaces structured by devices related to profitability, (density, speed, heating, …), can lead to different types of stress causing physiological imbalance.
This “wall object” makes it possible to modify the climate of urban space from time to time by cooling it when it is hot and enables users to physically re-experience breathing. To breathe in fresh air charged with iodine to reinflate the rib cage and re-initiate calmer breathing.
The project is inspired by graduation buildings, or inhalatoriums, of the 17th and 18th centuries : a graduation building is, in the salt industry, a building intended to evaporate water in which salt is dissolved.
An architectural form that is open to the wind filters saltwater through stacked bundles of thorns to increase the salinity of the water after several cycles.
The Inhalator project mimics this principle to evaporate and diffuse an iodine mist. Salt-laden water trickles down between the wooden slats of the central frame. The volume of water rises and circulates in a loop like a fountain using an electric pump powered by solar panels.
The natural ventilation of the site of implantation runs through the framework to form a light mist and fill the air with iodine, forming a microclimate.
Spaces with strong natural ventilation are suitable for the installation of this filter wall, which can be duplicated to form immersion spaces.
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The main aim of the design of this urban object is to refresh the air in urban spaces, bringing a feeling of freshness and well-being to people in the vicinity.
The flow of water through the wooden slats, by gravity, generates a light mist that refreshes the surrounding air.
The pre-design study carried out with the Elioth design office enabled us to understand and quantify the impact, on the one hand, of the dimensions of the device’s format on the cooling obtained in the vicinity, and, on the other hand, of the installation contexts to be favoured.
The format of the device must be large enough to cover the user’s field of view (technical name : solid angle) and guarantee that he/she is immersed in the air that is cooled by a few degrees, near the device.
The installation of the device in a shaded area, already greatly cooled, lowers the temperature further.
Locating the system on a site with good natural ventilation promotes evaporation and atomisation of the surrounding run-off water.
Thus the INHALATOR device contributes to amplifying the cooling power of aerated urban environments, and those that are already or soon to be planted.
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After various simulations with a small-scale device (2 m2 vertically), including calculations of surface temperature, cooling capacity, comfort, solid angle, dimensioning of wet surfaces and the role of shade, the large-scale approach appears to be a promising solution.
The abundance and repetition of cooling walls can lead to a 3° (PET) reduction in the user’s perceived temperature with an unshaded system in summer and hot weather, such as during heatwaves. Thus, the comfort gain can be increased by taking advantage of a shaded device to reach 7°.
Research is also being undertaken to define an optimal location in an urban environment, in a setting with good natural ventilation and for an even greater effect of cooling and diffusion of fresh air.
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Stainless steel structure.
Stainless steel casing.
Rot-proof wooden battens.
Water circuit (salt) autonomous or connected (drinking water).
Periodic replenishment of water (and salt balance).
Power supply (mains or solar).
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Optimal dimensions : 6 x 3 x 0.5 m