Numerical analysis of the influence of operational and constructive parameters on the operation of earth-air heat exchangers

Authors

  • Carine Marzarotto Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG)
  • Bruna Nunes Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG)
  • Michel Kepes Rodrigues Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG)
  • Jeferson Avila Souza Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG)
  • Luiz Alberto Oliveira Rocha Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG) Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)
  • Elizaldo Domingues dos Santos Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG)
  • Liércio André Isoldi Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14808/sci.plena.2015.081304

Keywords:

earth-air heat exchanger (EAHE), velocity variation of air flowing, study of spacing between parallel ducts.

Abstract

The search for thermal comfort elevates the electric energy consumption, due the need of climatization to reach a pleasurable temperature: cooling at summer and heating at winter. Looking for the reduction of electric energy consumption by air conditioners, we reach the earth-air heat exchanger (EAHE), that uses the incident solar radiation over the surface of the soil as a source of clean and renewable energy. That way the flowing air of EAHE is directed toward edifications, providing a significant improvement of the thermal condition. This is possible due to the thermal inertia of the soil, which has milder temperatures compared to the air’s temperature. Thus, the goal of this study is numerically evaluate the influence of the air’s flow velocity in the duct and the spacing between the parallel ducts on the thermal performance of the TCSA. For that a computational model, verified and validated, developed in the software FLUENT, which is based on the finite volume method (MVF), was employed. The results show that during the hottest periods the lowest flow velocity imposes in a better thermal performance of the TCSA. It was also observed that after 1 m of spacing between ducts the thermal exchange between each duct and soil is not significantly affected.

Author Biographies

Carine Marzarotto, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG)

http://lattes.cnpq.br/0824453666070412

Michel Kepes Rodrigues, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG)

http://lattes.cnpq.br/0379919270609981

Jeferson Avila Souza, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG)

http://lattes.cnpq.br/5324300115339036

Luiz Alberto Oliveira Rocha, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG) Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)

http://lattes.cnpq.br/2535324018884724

Elizaldo Domingues dos Santos, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG)

http://lattes.cnpq.br/6854950768271660

Liércio André Isoldi, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG)

 http://lattes.cnpq.br/3761060945802171

Published

2015-08-31

How to Cite

Marzarotto, C., Nunes, B., Rodrigues, M. K., Souza, J. A., Rocha, L. A. O., dos Santos, E. D., & Isoldi, L. A. (2015). Numerical analysis of the influence of operational and constructive parameters on the operation of earth-air heat exchangers. Scientia Plena, 11(8). https://doi.org/10.14808/sci.plena.2015.081304

Issue

Section

VI Conferência Sul em Modelagem Computacional

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