THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF A PARALLEL EARTH AIR-PIPES SYSTEM

In the present analysis the thermal performance of a parallel earth ai r-pipe system has been evaluated in terms of annual heating and coolin g potential. The influence of the pipes on each other's thermal perfor mance has been considered. The effect of seasonal variation of environ mental parameters (ambient temperature, solar radiation, relative humi dity, earth temperature etc.) has been considered. The results are obt ained for the hot-dry climate of Jodhpur and the composite climate of Delhi. From the various possible earth surface treatments to increase the effectiveness of earth storage systems for air conditioning purpos es, the results are presented for wet-shaded earth surface conditions, the most effective earth surface treatment for the climate considered . Thermal performance of the parallel air-pipe system is evaluated for the two cases. In the first case, inlet air temperature to the pipes is taken to be the hourly mean of the ambient air temperature of the a verage day of each month, and, in the second case, the inlet air tempe rature is taken to be equal to that of a conditioned room whose set-po int temperature varies from month to month.