Comparing analytical and numerical simulation models for Earth-air heat exchangers
Palavras-chave:
Earth-Air Heat Exchangers, Simulation models, Computational performancesResumo
In subtropical regions, like the South of Brazil, the air and soil temperatures follow phase shifted
periodical patterns with large amplitude variations along the year. This means that the Earth has great potential
to be used as a renewable heat source or sink for buildings, in the winter or summer, respectively. The Earth-
Air Heat Exchangers (EAHE) are devices that take advantage of this phenomenon. They employ buried ducts,
where the air is blown by low power fans (or by a passive method of natural convection) to exchange heat with the
soil, and leave their outlets at milder temperatures. The present study presents a comparison among four different
simulation models for EAHE. It takes into account experimental data available from an experimental installation in
the South Brazilian city of Viamao. Two of the models are one dimensional and analytical, the other two are three ̃
dimensional and numerical. We evaluate their overall accuracy, complexity, computational performances, among
other advantages/disadvantages.
