Comparative analysis of the heating performance of a hybrid Trombe wall System with Earth air heat exchanger in a cold climate condition

Air conditioning systems significantly contribute to global energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, highlighting the urgent need for passive energy solutions. This study evaluates the performance of open-loop and closed-loop Earth-to-Air Heat Exchanger (EAHE) systems, integrated with Trombe...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sina Lashgari, Armin Ardehali, Mohammad Hossein Jahangir
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Results in Engineering
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123025014525
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Summary:Air conditioning systems significantly contribute to global energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, highlighting the urgent need for passive energy solutions. This study evaluates the performance of open-loop and closed-loop Earth-to-Air Heat Exchanger (EAHE) systems, integrated with Trombe walls, to enhance thermal comfort in residential buildings in cold, dry winter climates. Results indicate that combined Trombe wall and EAHE systems effectively maintain indoor thermal comfort without supplementary heating. On days with outdoor temperatures below -10 °C, the combined systems achieved indoor temperatures of 7 °C to 17.5 °C. For temperatures between -10 °C and 0 °C, indoor temperatures ranged from 8.7 °C to 29 °C. However, on warmer winter days (4.5 °C to 22.5 °C), the Trombe wall alone outperformed the combined systems, maintaining indoor temperatures of 20 °C to 28.5 °C, aligning closely with thermal comfort standards. Thermal comfort was ensured by the integrated systems for approximately one-third of winter days. CFD simulations revealed that adding a fan increased flow velocity from 0.2 m/s at the channel inlet to 1 m/s at the outlet, with a 1 °C temperature rise through the underground channel. These findings show the potential of Trombe wall and EAHE systems as sustainable solutions for improving thermal comfort in cold climates while reducing dependence on conventional heating.
ISSN:2590-1230