Performance Analysis of Earth Air Heat Exchanger and Solar Chimney

Systems as A Passive Cooling

Terang UHS Ginting Manik1*, Tulus B. Sitorus2, Ericho Bastanta S.K3

1,2,3
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sumatera Utara
Jl. Almamater Kampus USU Padang Bulan, Medan 20155
email : terang1@usu.ac.id
Abstract
The use of renewable energy is highly considered at present with increasing energy requirements every year. There are many applications of the use of
renewable energy in cooling as an energy-saving solution. The Earth-Air Heat Exchanger (EAHE), as a solution for renewable energy. The concept of the
EAHE utilizes the soil temperature as a medium of air conditioning that flows along the pipes planted in the soil. The EAHE is planted within 2 meters,
where the soil temperature is at a constant temperature of 27 oC. Tests carried out by flowing air along pipes that flow into a 2 m x 2 m x 2 m test room in
a passive method. The Solar Chimney is a supporting device for the passive airflow method. The pressure difference between the test room and solar
chimney is essential as it will cause passive airflow from the EAHE and the room. effects of passive cooling air cause a decrease of 32.29 oC to 27.61 oC
on July 18, 2020, and 36.28 oC to 27.01 oC on July 20, 2020. The temperature reduction performed by the EAHE is 5-6 oC. The temperature reduction is
carried out with a maximum of QEAHE 49.55 oC on July, 18, 2020, and 180.41 oC on July 20, 2020. The cooling is carried out by the EAHE appropriate as
it can affect the human thermal comfort of 27 oC.
Keywords
Passive cooling, Renewable energy, Solar Chimney, Earth-Air Heat Exchanger

1 Introduction
Fossil fuel have long been used as a significant source of
energy for human consumption, but as the population
growth, the need for fossil fuel will also increase. Many
energy source than fossils to replace energy needs, which
are the primary of human needs. Solar energy is an option
that can be maximized to replace existing energy [1]. The
use of solar radiation that produces heat can be used to heat
water in the solar energy heating system and to heat the air
in the Solar Chimney system [2]. Its enormous potential
can support the conversion of used energy into renewable
energy for the future.
Furthermore, we can also recognize the earth as a
natural cooling agent that has long been used by humans to
innovate energy [3]. A constant soil temperature every year
at a depth of 1.5 - 2 m is an idea to use the cold soil as an
earth-air heat exchanger (EAHE) converter [4]. The
concept of using this soil temperature is to plant one or
more pipes in the ground to obtain a constant cold
temperature along the outer surface of the pipe as a cooling
media that flows through the pipe.
This concept continues to be developed by researches
as an innovation in the manufacture of air conditioning,
depending on the type and condition of the challenge in its
application [5]. The concept of EAHE and chimney solar as
a unified system rise to the idea of creating a pairing
system of two innovative concepts [6]. The EAHE and the
chimney solar will be used as a system that cooling the
room and perceived significantly in its application [7]. The
room to be cooled is the main target of using both
conceptual passive cooling systems; the benefits gained can
be applied in human life as the supportive innovation in a
renewable energy for the future [8].
Heat transfer is the transfer of heat energy due to the
temperature differences [9]. There are three known forms
of heat transfer mechanisms, namely conduction,
convection, and radiation. Conduction is the transfer of
heat from a place of high temperature to the low
temperature in a medium in direct contact. Meanwhile,
convection is the heat transfer that occurs by two
mechanisms [10]. In addition, to energy transfer due to
molecular movement, energy transfer is also transferred
due to the large molecular movement of fluid. Meanwhile,
radiation is the release of energy from a material that is not
at zero temperature through electromagnetic waves [11].
An underground heat exchanger or referred to an Air
Earth Air Exchanger is a heat exchanger with the use of
one or more pipes buried in the soil to a certain depth [12].
The pipes are made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride), HDPE
(high density polyethylene), or galvanized. The EAHE
concept is to utilize the soil as a cooling medium to drain
air into the pipe.
 In the summer, the hot air releases its contents into the QEAHE,l = hvap Vair ρair (woa,hr –wah,hr) (10)
pipe wall through the convection and then disappears to the
2 Materials and research methods
ground through conduction. The air that comes out will
2.1 Experimental scheme
have a cooler temperature than the surrounding air using
The testing process began at 11:00 am to circulate air into
the cold air as a media of air conditioning. The low
the air heat exchanger from solar chimney. The Cole-
temperature air will undoubtedly depend on the length of
Parmer acquisition data recorded temperatures in the inlet,
the pipe used as a conveying media as well as the depth of
outlet, and solar chimney, and along the heat exchanger
the soil.
pipe. Soil temperatures were also recorded using Cole-
The heat transfer between the airs flowing in the
Parmer acquisition data. Data is connected with the
pipe depends on the surface area of the pipe obtained from
thermocouples. Data acquisition recorded the temperature
the calculation of the diameter and length of the pipe. The
in every minute. The test ended at 4 pm. Then the test was
maller pipe with longer diameters have better thermal
performed in the next day with the same procedure. The
performance, but reduces pressure. The larger the diameter
tests carried out for two consecutive days in July 2020 in
of the pipe cross section, the decrease in speed will occur
the city of Medan. Table 1 shows the specifications of the
with the rate of heat transfer, vice versa.
EAHE system, assembled rooms, and solar chimney.
Equations used in heat transfer and performance
The purpose of this research is to determine how much
analysis in air-ground heat exchangers are as follows:
the temperature reduction resulted from the effect of the
 Mass flow rate
performance of the solar chimney and the EAHE as well as
π 2
D ρVa to find out the appropriate of the passive cooling system
ṁ= = 4 (1)
applied. The humidity of the room determine whether the
Np room is suitable to occupied after the cooling effect of the
 Pipe thermal resistance EAHE.
1 Table 1. The specification of the eahe
Rpipe = ln (re/ri) (2)
K pipe 2 πL No Data Description
1 Diameter of EAHE pipe d = 0,1016 m
 Thermal soil resistance 2 Length of EAHE pipe l =26,5 m3
1 3 Room size mxlxp : 2m x 2m x 2m
Rsoil = ln (R (z,x) | re) 4 Chimney Height t=5m
K soil 2 πL 5 Solar Chimney Diameter d : 0,30 m
(3)
 Thermal convection resistance
1
Rconv = (4)
h Ai
 Substitute thermal conductivity
1
U=
(Rconv+ Rpipe+ Rsoil)
(5)
 Effectiveness of earth air heat exchanger
T ∈−T out
ε= = 1 – e -(hA/ṁCp)
Tin−Twall
(6)
 NTU numbers
UA
NTU=
ṁCp Fig 1. Scheme of the study
(7)
3 Result and discussion
 Earth air heat exchanger
3.1 Chart of an EAHE inlet versus outlet temperature
QEAHE,t = ṁ ρa (hin-EAHE – hout-EAHE) (8)
 Sensible Work
QEAHE,s = ṁ ρa Cp (Tin-EAHE – Tout-EAHE) (9)
 Laten

Fig 2. Inlet-Outlet Temperature Chart on July 18, 2020
From figure 2 above, a significant decrease in
temperature occurred during the test on July 18, 2020. The
inlet maximum temperature into the heat exchanger (Tin-
EAHE) was 32.29 oC, and the lowest was 29.48 oC . The
outlet maximum temperature (Tout-EAHE) was 28.21 oC,
and the lowest was 27.32 oC. The average temperature
reduction that can be carried out by the heat exchanger was
3 to 4 oC.
Fig
2. Inlet-Outlet Temperature Chart on July 20, 2020
Figure 2 shows a graph of the test data on July 20,
2020, which can be seen the total of inlet and outlet
temperature entering the air-ground heat exchanger. The
maximum temperature entering the EAHE (Tin-EAHE)
was 36.28 oC, and the lowest (Tout-EAHE) was 29.89 oC.
The maximum EAHE outlet temperature (Tout-EAHE) was
29.13 oC, and the lowest was 27.01 oC. The temperature
reduction that can be handled by the air-ground heat
exchanger was 4-5 oC.
3.2 Chart of QEAHE,t – QEAHE,s - QEAHE,l
Fig 3. Chart of QEAHE, on July 18, 2020
Figure 3 above shows the working size (W) of the heat
exchanger. The maximum of QEAHE,t is 49.55 W, and the the
lowest of QEAHE, is 11.35 W. Then QEAHE,t is obtained based
on the tests performed is small, because it is a passive
working system with no assistance in distributing air
inside.
The highest performance of QEAHE,t occurs around 2:30
and 3:00 pm. This is due to the high ambient temperature
enters the EAHE. The lowest performance conditions
occurs around 12:30 - 1:00 pm. The result of Q EAHE,t
relatively low due to the ambient temperature of the
environment to circulate into the EAHE.
Fig 4. Chart of QEAHE,s on July 18, 2020
Figure 4 above shows the large of Q EAHE,s which works
on EAHE. The maximum of QEAHE,s was obtained at 15.33
W, and the lowest of QEAHE,s at 6.60 W. The low value due
to air-sensitive work, which is to increase the air
temperature with a fixed phase, which is does not require
much work due to the small of air CP value.
Fig 5. Chart of QEAHE,l on July 18, 2020
Figure 5 shows the maximum of QEAHE,l which works
on the EAHE, and the highest of Q EAHE,l occurrs at 2:30-
3:00 pm with the highest work at 34.23 W. The lowest of
QLATEN was obtained at 12:30 - 1:00 pm with the lowest
activity of 4.75 W. The graph shows the latent work where
the EAHE also perform the latent work when the system
starts working. The maximum of Q latent value can be
obtained by calculate the difference in humidity ratio that
affects the temperature and air condition when circulates
throughout the EAHE.

Fig 8. Chart of QEAHE,s on July 20, 2020

Figure 8 shows the large of QEAHE,s that works on

EAHE. The highest of QEAHE,s, was obtained at 47.89 W and
Fig 6. Chart of QEAHE- QEAHE,s on July 18, 2020 the lowest was 13.01 W. Then, QSENSIBLE, was preponderant
than the data on July 16, 2020. The Q EAHE,s chart is not
Figure 6 is the comparison chart of QEAHE,t - QEAHE,s -
much different than the QEAHE,s . The highest and lowest of
QEAHE,l which works on the EAHE. Graph 6 shows how the
QEAHE,s occur at 01:00 - 01.30 and 03.00 - 03.30 am. This is
relationship between QEAHE,s, and QEAHE, which works in the
due to the high and low temperatures entering the EAHE.
EAHE. Both plot graphs produce maximum and minimum
curves that are not significantly different due to the same
purpose, namely the performance of the ambient air-
conditioning that enters the EAHE.

Fig 9. Chart of QEAHE,l on July 20, 2020

Figure 9 shows the large QEAHE,l, which operates on
EAHE. The highest of QEAHE,l value occurs at 01.00- 01.30
pm with the highest value of 132.52 W. The lowest of
Fig 7. Chart of QEAHE,t on July 20, 2020 QEAHE,i occurs at 3:00 - 3:30 pm due to the significant
Figure 7 shows the working size (W) of EAHE. The decrease in inlet temperature resulting in QEAHE,l of 1.05 W
maximum of QEAHE was at 180.41 W, and the of the lowest due to the cloudy.
of QEAHE,t was 11.02 W. The QEAHE,t obtained based on the .
tests performed was also small due to the system of passive
cooling. The highest performance of Q EAHE,t occurs between
01:00 - 01.30 pm. This is due to the high temperature of air
enters the EAHE. The high air temperature will increase in
a significant temperature, then the Q EAHE is also maximum.
The lowest performance occurred at 3:00 - 3:30 pm, where
there was a significant decrease in performance due to the
low air temperature entering the EAHE. This is due to the
cloudy weather.
Fig 10. Chart of QEAHE - QSENSIBEL EAHE on July 20, 2020
Figure 10 shows the QEAHE - QSENSIBEL - QLATEN
comparison chart that works on the EAHE. The graph plot
shows no significant difference between the Q EAHE and
QSENSIBEL due to the same purpose as passive cooling
performance.
3.3 Chart of NTU - ε Earth Air Heat Exchanger
After calculate the data obtained from the tests on July
18 and 20, 2020, then the NTU and ε values that were
obtained from the EAHE. Figure 11 shows the comparison
between NTU and ε.
Fig 11. Chart of NTU - ε EAHE on July 18, 2020
Fig 12. Chart of NTU – ε on July 20, 2020
Figures 4.11 and 4.12 show the relationship between
NTU and ε. The higher the NTU value, then the greater the
ε value. The EAHE affects the circulation of the mass flow
rate (kg/s).
4 Conclusion
The EAHE and Solar Chimney as a passive cooling can
provide proper performance. The temperature in the test
room is around 3 - 5oC. The air circulating in the EAHE
has decreased to an average of 27.74 oC on July 18, 2020,
and 28.59 oC on July 20, 2020 The lowest NTU (Number
of Transfer Units) at 0.7120 and the highest at 0.7260 on
July 18, 2020, with an airspeed of 0.3 m/s. Meanwhile, on
July 20, the highest NTU value was 0.1735, and the lowest
was 0.1714, with an air velocity of 0.6 m/s.
The higher the air velocity to circulate in the EAHE, the
smaller NTU value obtained. The value of effectiveness (ε)
will be directly proportional to the NTU, which will
increase or decrease according to the work performed. The
highest QEAHE working capacity obtained during the test on
July 18, 2020, was the highest at 49.55 W, and the lowest
was 11.35 W, while on July 20, 2020, the highest Q EAHE
was 180.41 W, and the lowest was 11.02. The experiment
shows that the QEAHE was not too large due to the operating
system was passive cooling. The highest QSENSIBEL was
15.33 W, and the lowest was 6.60 W on July 18, 2020.
Meanwhile, on July 20, 2020, the highest QEAHE was
47.89 W, and the lowest was 13.01 W.
Acknowledgment
The author would like to thank DRPM DIKTI for the
financial assistance provided through the university's
applied research project in 2020.
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