How good is a Wind Directional Cowl

by Isa Stralian

You are trying to figure out which cowl is going to give you the best result, wind directional or otherwise,
Most mechanical devices will give you some value according to design.
Leaving aside the high maintenance aspect, the wind directional unit response time is slow when compared to the Condor design.
If it’s preventing smoke from billowing back into a room then wind directional type will not be as efficient as a motionless unit such as the Condor.


Nature is erratic and air resistance and passive air exhaust to atmosphere can be problematic.
When one looks at all the different designs, all are seeking to avoid nature’s forces by turning away.
And there are many different designs, fabricated out out a diverse range of materials and all working on the same principle, turning away.
Building technology, and in particular mechanical engineers still clinging to ideas and perceptions of the past.
And so they could never be accused of making the wrong choice, they just went with the flow.

The Condor design faces nature full on and converts negative flow to positive.

Is there a need for a wind directional cowl?

A matter of understanding.
You simply redirect the air flow so that the deflected energy actually enhances the exhaust.
This particular problem could have been solved quite simply given the solution has been present for at least two and a half centuries.
Bernoulli’s principle was merely the beginning.

Bernoulli’s principle states that an increase in the speed of a fluid occurs simultaneously with a decrease in static pressure or the fluid’s potential energy. 1738
So everyone went out and manufactured wind directional cowls supposedly based on the commercial interpretation of the principle.

A few years ago a device appeared in the market place.
It was designed to deflect negative down draft potential in a wood burning heater or fireplace thus eliminating smoke ingress into the room.
A few years later on a similar device appeared as a roof ventilator.
Both designs, although somewhat similar to the casual observer, were motionless. Because they were motionless it was thought they were not as effective.
Big mistake!
The design deflected prevailing pressure it in a positive manner and in doing so utilised the natural energy.
This device in early years, was known as a Condor Terminal and was casually marketed as an omni directional multi venturi ventilator.
The research and development done in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia by engineers specialising in in micro fluid dynamics.

Interesting to note that the Condor design stainless steel unit has never failed in achieving it’s intended purpose and has never needed to be maintained or replaced.

CKV