Computational modeling applied to the study of an earth-air heat exchanger with different geometric configurations

Authors

  • Bruna Rodrigues Nunes Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG)
  • Juliane Gabina Ferraz Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG)
  • Ricardo Kipper
  • Michel Kepes Rodrigues Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG)
  • Ruth da Silva Brum Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)
  • Jeferson Avila Souza Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG)
  • Luiz Alberto Oliveira Rocha Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)
  • Elizaldo Domingues dos Santos Universidade Federal do do Rio Grande (FURG)
  • Liércio André Isoldi Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Escola de Engenharia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14808/sci.plena.2015.081305

Keywords:

computational modeling, earth-air heat exchangers and thermal potential assessment

Abstract

In order to reduce the consumption of electricity is used renewable energy sources in this way is it is possible to use the solar radiation that reaches the soil surface as thermal energy by the use of earth-air heat exchangers (EAHE) in built environments. The EAHE are devices in which the external ambient air is cooled or heated when circulating in the horizontally buried ducts. This exchange takes place due to the thermal inertia of the soil, so that in summer the air that circulates into the EAHE exits with a smaller temperature than external air, while during winter the external air gains heat when circulates through the EAHE, leaving it with a higher temperature. Thus, this work aims to simulate numerically the thermal and fluid dynamic behavior of an EAHE, keeping constant its heat exchange area, enabling the assessment of the influence of the geometrical configuration of the installation in the EAHE thermal potential. By means of a tridimensional computational model, verified and validated, developed in the FLUENT software (based on the Finite Volume Method), the numerical results obtained indicated a small reduction in the thermal potential of the EAHE in relation to the considerable reduction of the portion of soil necessary for their installation, highlighting the importance and the applicability of the computational modeling in this kind of engineering problem.

Author Biographies

Bruna Rodrigues Nunes, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG)

http://lattes.cnpq.br/2331213898121738

Juliane Gabina Ferraz, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG)

http://lattes.cnpq.br/0435625337573977

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

http://lattes.cnpq.br/0379919270609981

Ruth da Silva Brum, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)

http://lattes.cnpq.br/7298347412058864

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

http://lattes.cnpq.br/5324300115339036

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

http://lattes.cnpq.br/2535324018884724

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

http://lattes.cnpq.br/6854950768271660

Liércio André Isoldi, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Escola de Engenharia

http://lattes.cnpq.br/3761060945802171

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Published

2015-08-31

How to Cite

Nunes, B. R., Ferraz, J. G., Kipper, R., Rodrigues, M. K., Brum, R. da S., Souza, J. A., … Isoldi, L. A. (2015). Computational modeling applied to the study of an earth-air heat exchanger with different geometric configurations. Scientia Plena, 11(8). https://doi.org/10.14808/sci.plena.2015.081305

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 8 (2015): August/Agosto 2015

Section

VI Conferência Sul em Modelagem Computacional

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