Duto palmar: dispositivo passivo de escoamento bioinspirado em folhas de palmeiras amazônicas para uso residencial em Manaus

Abstract

Low indoor air renewal in Manaus is associated with physical obstructions, high temperatures, and pressure reduction, increasing the dependence on mechanical air-conditioning systems, particularly in dense urban areas where cross ventilation is constrained by built morphology and equatorial climate conditions. In response, this study presents the development of the Duto Palmar, a passive device designed to capture and direct natural airflow in single-family residential buildings. The research is grounded in a literature review on natural ventilation, passive design, and biomimetic principles applied to architecture. The palm species Bacaba (Oenocarpus bacaba) and Patauá (Oenocarpus bataua) were selected as biological references, and their morphological characteristics informed the geometric configuration of the device. The methodology includes climatic analysis, morphological investigation of leaves, three-dimensional modeling, geometric parameter definition, and computational fluid dynamics simulations, considering variables such as incident air velocity, dynamic pressure, and internal flow behavior based on local urban microclimate data. Results indicate increased air velocity at the outlet and improved efficiency in airflow capture and redirection. The observed performance suggests potential enhancement of indoor natural ventilation and partial reduction of energy consumption from air-conditioning systems in residential buildings located in humid tropical climates.