Effect of Wet Soil on Thermal Performance of Air-Fluid Ground Heat Exchanger for Heating

Abstract

The energy crisesthat emerged after the economic problems in the world increased the interest inalternative energy resources. The effects of global warming, which has aserious threat, will be reduced by the more efficient use of these energyresources. In this study, the thermal effects of wet soil were investigatedexperimentally using a ground source heat exchanger (GHE), which is analternative energy resource, in an area on the Esentepe campus of SakaryaUniversity. Researches on this subject are mostly directed to dry soilapplications. In this research, the performance of soil in an artificial poolwas examined in terms of heat transfer. By means of the artificial pool formedunder the ground, it is aimed to increase in heat transfer between the soil andthe process fluid. In the experiments which are conducted, air is used as theprocess fluid. The system has a significant advantage in certain temperatureranges due to the passive heating method, in other words, the process fluid canbe circulated under the soil without using a compressor. The purpose of thismethod is to reduce the cost of heating in the winter season. The temperaturedifference at GHE inlet and outlet is approximately 9.07 °C in the experiments.The heat transfer rate has been increased by 46.28% compared to dry soilapplication for the same air velocity speed.

Keywords

• ground base heating
• earth air heat exchanger
• wet soil