Abstract
In this paper the experimentally obtained flow characteristics of multi-pipe earth-to-air heat exchangers (EAHEs) were used to validate the EAHE flow performance numerical model prepared by means of CFD software Ansys Fluent. The cut-cell meshing and the k-ε realizable turbulence model with default coefficients values and enhanced wall treatment was used. The total pressure losses and airflow in each pipe of multi-pipe exchangers was investigated both experimentally and numerically. The results show that airflow in each pipe of multi-pipe EAHE structures is not equal. The validated numerical model can be used for a proper designing of multi-pipe EAHEs from the flow characteristics point of view. The influence of EAHEs geometrical parameters on the total pressure losses and airflow division between the exchanger pipes can be also analysed. Usage of CFD for designing the EAHEs can be helpful for HVAC engineers (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) for optimizing the geometrical structure of multi-pipe EAHEs in order to save the energy and decrease operational costs of low-energy buildings.
Highlights
1.1 Application of earth-to-air heat exchangersEarth-to-air pipe-type heat exchangers (EAHEs) are used as a part of the energy efficient ventilation systems with heat recovery, enabling additional energy recovery thanks to the accumulative properties of a ground and quite stable ground temperature at a depth of about 2 m [1]
Performance evaluation and life cycle cost analysis of EAHE were done in the New Delhi (India) [3]
In the designing process of EAHEs it is important to know the heating or cooling capacity of the device and to predict the cost of its operation which depends on the total pressure losses
Summary
Earth-to-air pipe-type heat exchangers (EAHEs) are used as a part of the energy efficient ventilation systems with heat recovery, enabling additional energy recovery thanks to the accumulative properties of a ground and quite stable ground temperature at a depth of about 2 m [1]. Fresh air flows through the pipes and heats up in the winter or cools down in the summer. Its additional advantage is preventing the air-to-air heat exchanger in air-handling unit against freezing in cold and moderate climates. The simple payback time of EAHE in Italian climates can be 5–9 years [2]. EAHE performance for greenhouses was investigated in Turkey [5]. The potential of EAHE for low energy cooling of buildings in Algeria was investigated in [6]. The EAHEs were investigated in France [7]
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