Evaluation of the Cooling Potential of Earth Air Heat Exchanger Using Concrete Pipes

An earth air heat exchanger (EAHE) has advantages of its simplicity, easy implementation and low operating cost. The EAHE system is found less expensive for cooling and heating of buildings in severe climates. In this research paper, efforts have been made to analyze the accomplishment of a low-cost cooling system of outdoor air for the hot-dry & hot-humid climate. The effect of velocity, length and depth on the cooling potential of the system is studied at the inlet and outlet of the pipe. The novelty of this research is that enormous enhancement of the cooling potential has been observed in hot-humid climate than hot-dry climate, which is not available in previous studies. The results show that the maximum cooling potential in hot-dry climate is found 5643 kWh, 7375 kWh, 8939 kWh for the EAHE length of 15 m, 30 m and 45 m, respectively, corresponding to the velocity 2.5 m s−1 and depth 1.5 m. Whereas in a hot-humid climate, maximum cooling potential is achieved 13,373 kWh, 20,134 kWh and 24,080 kWh with a length of 15 m, 30 m and 45 m, respectively, for the given velocity and depth.