During warm seasons (summer/spring), the main challenge is dissipating excess heat: daytime and nighttime temperatures are higher, the day–night temperature difference is much smaller, and the effective sunlight duration is longer. During cold seasons (autumn/winter), the main challenge is retaining heat: daytime and nighttime temperatures are lower, the day–night temperature difference is much larger, and the effective sunlight duration is shorter.

To address the mentioned problems, the present invention was developed: a passive ventilation system for heat collection and dissipation, which is installed in small-scale food warehouses. It is passive because it does not use any active elements (electrical, electronic, electromechanical, etc.) to control the air temperature inside the chamber.

The system comprises a collector–dissipator tower and ventilation slots. The collector–dissipator tower is formed by three concentric tubes with ventilation slots: a central tube that serves as a ventilation duct, concentric with a first outer tube, which in turn is concentric with a second outer tube. The central tube has ventilation slots at the top, which can be opened or closed. The outer tubes have ventilation slots that remain closed (cold seasons) and allow air to be retained inside or opened (warm seasons) and allow air to be expelled outside.

Due to the small-scale nature of the chamber, control can be carried out by passive processes. Two natural processes are used: direct solar and convective. In direct solar, energy is provided by sunlight heating the interior air. Moreover, a convective process is used via the collector–dissipator tower, which stores heat during the day and then releases it at night through a convective heat flow that warms the chamber air.

The use of a heat collector–dissipator tower enables control of temperature ranges that cannot be managed by conventional passive mechanisms or would require the use of active control mechanisms.