Abstract
The thermal performance of two geothermal earth-to-air heat exchangers (EAHEs) installed at the guest apartment building of the Universidad de Quintana Roo was analyzed. Both EAHEs are composed of 6-m-long, 0.1524-m-diameter polyvinyl chloride pipes buried 1 and 2 m deep. To reduce either heat gain or loss at the EAHE outlet, this section of the pipe was thermally isulated with a 0.0508-m layer of polyurethane foam. Thermocouples were placed at the inlet and the outlet of each EAHE to measure the corresponding temperatures. The EAHE has been tested under the climatic conditions of Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico, where the climate is mild in the months of December to February and warm the rest of year. The experimental work was conducted in January and August, the coldest and warmest months. The results show that for the warmest month, the use of EAHE is advantageous during the day because the output temperature is reduced up to 4\(^{\circ }\)C. In addition, it has been found that the EAHE inlet air temperature is lower than that of the outlet at night, indicating an undesired effect. Thus, use of the EAHE is encouraged only in the daytime during summer in Chetumal, Quintana Roo. On the other hand, for the coldest month, the EAHE helps to raise the temperature up to 5 \(^{\circ }\)C to improve comfort at night.
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Notes
The cost of energy is taken from the price charged to the University of Quintana Roo
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Acknowledgements
J.O. Aguilar is grateful to Red de Energí a Solar-CONACyT (Project No. 271615, Red Temática de Energí a Solar) for the support granted for the academic mobility in the National Center for Research and Technological Development (CENIDET) to conduct part of the results presented in this work. We dedicate this research article to the memory of Dr. Jesús Perfecto Xamán Villaseñor.
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Appendix: How to use the EAHE
Appendix: How to use the EAHE
Whether used alone, (as shown in Fig. 7, which implies using a special conditioning system, to clean the air of mold and fungi caused by humidity in the area), or coupled with a mini-split condenser (see illustration Fig. 8) during the summer, the system does not require special characteristics.
EAHE in direct-to-room operation
EAHE coupled to mini-split system
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Becerra, G., Picazo, M., Aguilar, J.O. et al. Experimental study of a geothermal earth-to-air heat exchanger in Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Energy Efficiency 15, 20 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-022-10022-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-022-10022-3