Simulation of earth-to-air heat exchanger systems

Solar energy accumulated in the soil may be utilized with earth-to-air heat exchangers (ETAHEs), which have a single tube or a group of tubes buried into the ground. The use of such a system requires a complex dimensioning process, which involves optimization of numerous parameters such as the airflow rate, tube length, depth, and diameter; in the meantime, some potentially adverse aspects of the system such as condensation have to be considered. In this thesis, first a transient control volume model is presented to investigate the transient soil heat rejection around an ETAHE. Then, a 1-D steady-state model is developed by combining a control volume model with an analytical solution for prediction of ETAHE outlet temperature, relative humidity and condensation (if any). The model is validated against two sets of published experimental data. By trying various combinations of different parameters, one may find an optimal dimension for an ETAHE system. Application of this technique in Montreal climate is also analyzed. (Abstract shortened by UMI.