Numerical study of an underground heat tube.

摘要

The energy consumption of the air-to-air heat pump can be reduced, especially in winter, by using the soil as a heat source. A system of buried tube through which air is passed, has great potential in supplying higher temperature air than the ambient air, to the outside heat exchanger of the heat pump.;The numerical results show the effects of increasing the moisture content of the soil, increasing the air flow rate in the tube, and the release of latent heat when soil freezes. The formation of ice around the tube played a significant role in achieving a stabilized output air temperature at a short time.;Heat transfer from the soil to the tube, including the possibility of formation of ice lenses around the tube, was investigated over a period of time in a cold season. Models of ice formation were developed in two types of tube, the circular tube and the square tube. Latent heat released due to the formation of ice were included in the models. Computer simulation utilizing finite difference equations were developed, using the explicit method, where forward differences were used in time and central differences were used in space.