Numerical Assessment of EAHE Systems for Refreshment in Desert Algerian Regions

Abstract

As an example of green energy (geothermal energy), which has been the subject of advanced research in recent decades, the earth-to-air heat exchanger (EAHE) is the application of an air heat exchanger to soil temperatures, in which air circulates in tubes in thermal contact with the ground. The performance of the EAHE cooling system is evaluated at two separate sites (arid and semi-arid) in Algeria throughout this investigation. The impact of the EAHE system's entombed depth is then considered in this paper. According to our earlier research, the proper depth of the inhumed pipes is set at 3 m. The thermo-physical properties of the soil at several sites located in southern Algeria (Ghardaia: 32° 22′ 54′′ North, 3° 47′ 58′′ East) and Ouargla: 31° 55′ 53′′ North, 5° 24′ 24′′ East) are implemented by writing a program with the Scilab 6.0.2 software. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the thermal range parameter is a more relevant and efficient parameter for evaluating the thermal performance of the EAHE (Earth-to-Air Heat Exchanger) system. Furthermore, the Ouargla region is a suitable location for the experimental realization of the EAHE system. The thermal amplitude interval (Trange) in Ouargla during the annual period is larger compared to Ghardaï a, with maximum values of 22.5℃ and 20℃ respectively. It is worth noting that the thermal comfort level (20-27℃) is more suitable for the Ouargla region rather than Ghardaï a. Additionally, there is an average difference of around 2.5℃ in the thermal amplitude between the two zones during the hot season, further highlighting the superiority of the Ouargla region.