Zero-Energy Purification of Ambient Particulate Matter Using a Novel Double-Skin Façade System Integrated with Porous Materials

This study introduces an innovative double-skin facade system integrated with porous materials (DSF-PM) designed to combat air pollution by purifying atmospheric particulate matter without energy consumption. By evaluating three installation strategies-vertical, horizontal, and cross placement-and examining porous materials with pore sizes of 0.5 mm, 1 mm, and 2 mm through a validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, we optimized the DSF-PM system for enhanced particulate matter purification. Our findings reveal that positioning the porous material on both airflow sides with a pore size of 1 mm yields the best purification performance. The seasonal performance analysis demonstrates that the DSF-PM system achieves an average annual purification efficiency of 26.24% for particles larger than 5 mu m, surpassing 20% efficiency, comparable to primary filters in global standards, with zero energy input. This passive double-skin facade system, leveraging solar-driven natural convection, emerges as a sustainable solution for ambient air purification in urban environments.