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Parametric Analysis on an Earth-to-Air Heat Exchanger Employed in an Air Conditioning System

Author

Listed:
  • Diana D’Agostino

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy)

  • Francesco Esposito

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy)

  • Adriana Greco

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy)

  • Claudia Masselli

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy)

  • Francesco Minichiello

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy)

Abstract

This paper is focused on the resort to geothermal energy, through the employment of an Earth-to-Air-Heat Exchanger (EAHX) positioned upstream of the air-handling unit of an air conditioning system, for an office building in Naples (South Italy). The aim is to evaluate the energy performances of this unusual system compared to the common solution of external air directly entering the air-handling unit. The EAHX is extensively designed and two-dimensionally modeled, and the analysis is solved with finite element method. The model is validated with experimental data and this comparison shows good agreement. With the requirement of providing the building with 1300 m 3 h −1 of external airflow, different design solutions for the EAHX are studied, by varying the diameter (in the range 0.2–0.5 m) and length (between 20 and 140 m) of the buried pipes. The results indicate that: smaller tube diameters enhance the heat transfer; a tube length between 80 and 100 m is recommended. Using the EAHX, the reduction of the thermal power of the coils in the air-handling unit is greater than 40% in most cases. Finally, the efficiency of the EAHX is assessed as a function of the tube length and diameter, reaching values up to 0.9.

Suggested Citation

  • Diana D’Agostino & Francesco Esposito & Adriana Greco & Claudia Masselli & Francesco Minichiello, 2020. "Parametric Analysis on an Earth-to-Air Heat Exchanger Employed in an Air Conditioning System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-24, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:11:p:2925-:d:368329
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Piotr Michalak, 2022. "Hourly Simulation of an Earth-to-Air Heat Exchanger in a Low-Energy Residential Building," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-23, March.
    2. Adriana Greco & Claudia Masselli, 2020. "The Optimization of the Thermal Performances of an Earth to Air Heat Exchanger for an Air Conditioning System: A Numerical Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-25, December.
    3. Di Qi & Chuangyao Zhao & Shixiong Li & Ran Chen & Angui Li, 2021. "Numerical Assessment of Earth to Air Heat Exchanger with Variable Humidity Conditions in Greenhouses," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-18, March.
    4. D'Agostino, D. & Minichiello, F. & Petito, F. & Renno, C. & Valentino, A., 2022. "Retrofit strategies to obtain a NZEB using low enthalpy geothermal energy systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PD).
    5. Luca Cirillo & Adriana Greco & Claudia Masselli, 2023. "The Application of Barocaloric Solid-State Cooling in the Cold Food Chain for Carbon Footprint Reduction," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-17, September.

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