MODELING THE THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF EARTH-TO-AIR HEAT-EXCHANGERS

A new complete numerical model for the prediction of thermal performance of the earth-to-air heat exchangers is presented. The model describes the simultaneous heat and mass transfer inside the tube and into the soil accounting for the soil natural thermal stratification. The model is validated against an extensive set of experimental data and it is found accurate. The proposed algorithms are suitable for the calculation of the temperature and humidity variation of the circulating air and for the temperature and humidity distribution inside the ground. The presented model was developed within the TRNSYS environment and can be easily coupled with building or greenhouse simulation codes in order to describe the impact of the earth-to-air heat exchangers to indoor environments.