Energy metrics of a hybrid earth air heat exchanger system for summer cooling requirements

Buildings exhibit a high energy consumption compared with other economic sectors. While percentages vary from country to country, buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of the global energy demand. Most of this is consumed for achieving human thermal comfort. In Colombia, the government promotes policies for the adoption of efficient energy strategies in this sector. The earth to air heat exchanger (EAHE) can be used to reduce the cooling load of a building. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the energy savings that can be obtained by installing an EAHE in a tropical climate in Colombia. To do so, a mathematical model is implemented in TRNSYS (Transient System Simulation Tool) to predict the thermal performance and the cooling capacity of the EAHE. The system is modeled as a function of pipe length, diameter, material, thickness and air mass flow. Moreover, soil, local atmospheric conditions and building features are taken into account. It is found that the air leaves the EAHE at temperatures between 20.9 °C and 24.1 °C, which are approximately 3 °C below ambient temperature. Furthermore, the economic feasibility of the project is verified. Thereby, it is demonstrated that the EAHE can be a competitive alternative to current HVAC systems.

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“…The cooling load is calculated by TRN-SYS subroutine, Type 56. This is carried out as reported in Multizone Building modeling [29].…”

Section: Coefficient Of Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

Potential Applicability of Earth to Air Heat Exchanger for Cooling in a Colombian Tropical Weather

Peña

Jaramillo-Ibarra

2021

Buildings

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“…The new hybrid system was able to reduce 18.1% of energy consumption. Soni et al [50] have conducted an experimental study of a coupling between an EAHE and a conventional air conditioning system to ensure thermal comfort and achieve energy savings. The new hybrid system was able to reduce significantly energy consumption compared to a conventional air conditioning system.…”

Section: Eahe Studies Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Earth to Air Heat Exchanger and Its Applications in Arid Regions - An Updated Review

Sakhri¹,

Menni²,

Chamkha³

et al. 2020

IJES

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Earth to Air Heat Exchanger ETAHE or Air Ground Heat Exchanger (AGHE) is a renewable technique based on geothermal source used for many centuries in arid and desert regions and considered as a principal element of vernacular and traditional architecture. Arid regions are characterized by a severe winter and summer weather conditions leads to a large thermal discomfort for the big part of the year. Many researchers studied the potentials of this technique to ensure thermal comfort inside buildings for summer and winter seasons. The present study is a review of numerical, experimental, parametric and economic studies of an earth to air heat exchanger with a focus on its application in semi-arid and arid regions. Using an air-to-ground heat exchanger for thermal comfort requires a deep understanding of geothermal deposits and these natural potentials and particularly in desert and arid regions.

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“…When the depth of the buried pipes is less than 5 m, the air outlet temperature of the system will increase as the soil temperature rises. In the Bhopal area of India, Soni et al [30] found that, at the depth of 2.7 m, the soil temperature is close to 30°C. When the outdoor temperature fluctuates from 37.5 to 46°C, the air temperature at the outlet of the EAHE system fluctuates between 35.5 and 42°C.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical Research and Parametric Study on the Thermal Performance of a Vertical Earth-to-Air Heat Exchanger System

Zhang

Sun

Zhang

et al. 2021

Mathematical Problems in Engineering

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The earth-to-air heat exchanger (EAHE) system, as a clean and efficient shallow geothermal energy application technology, has obvious effects in reducing the energy consumption of passive low-energy buildings. The traditional horizontal EAHE system is difficult to apply and popularize due to its large occupation, unfavorable shallow soil temperature, and difficulty in timely centralized discharge of condensed water. This paper proposes a new type of vertical earth-to-air heat exchanger (VEAHE) system. The VEAHE system has a number of advantages such as smaller occupation, efficient geothermal energy utilization, and centralized discharge of condensed water. In order to evaluate the influence of different parameters on the thermal performance of the VEAHE system, a mathematical model of the VEAHE system was developed. And, the data calculated by the model highly tallied with the experimental data. The results showed that laying thermal insulation layers at the outlet of risers will effectively restrain the interference of downcomers to risers. It is advisable to set thickness and length of the insulation layer at 30 mm and 3 m. Considering the compromise between thermal performance and construction costs of the VEAHE system, the length of the ducts at 30–50 m and the diameter at 150–250 mm are recommended. The air supply volume of a single shaft can reach 500–1200 m3/h as the air velocity reaches 3–7 m/s.

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Energy metrics of a hybrid earth air heat exchanger system for summer cooling requirements

Cited by 59 publications

References 34 publications

Potential Applicability of Earth to Air Heat Exchanger for Cooling in a Colombian Tropical Weather

Potential Applicability of Earth to Air Heat Exchanger for Cooling in a Colombian Tropical Weather

Earth to Air Heat Exchanger and Its Applications in Arid Regions - An Updated Review

Numerical Research and Parametric Study on the Thermal Performance of a Vertical Earth-to-Air Heat Exchanger System

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