An experimental study of the exergetic performance of an underground air tunnel system for greenhouse cooling

The present study highlights the exergetic performance characteristics of an underground air tunnel for greenhouse cooling with a 47 m horizontal, 56 cm nominal diameter U-bend buried galvanized ground heat exchanger. This system was designed and installed in the Solar Energy Institute, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey. Underground air tunnel systems, also known as earth-to-air heat exchangers, are recognized to be outstanding heating, cooling and air heating systems. On the other hand, they have not been used yet in the Turkish market. Greenhouses also have important economical potential in Turkey’s agricultural sector. Greenhouses should be cooled during the summer or hot days. In order to establish optimum growth conditions in greenhouses, renewable energy sources should be utilized as much as possible. It is expected that effective use of underground air tunnels with a suitable technology in the modern greenhouses will play a leading role in Turkey in the foreseeable future. The exergy transports between the components and the destructions in each of the components of the system are determined for the average measured parameters obtained from the experimental results. Exergetic efficiencies of the system components are determined in an attempt to assess their individual performances and the potential for improvements is also presented. The daily maximum cooling coefficient of performances (COP) values for the system are also obtained to be 15.8. The total average COP in the experimental period is found to be 10.09. The system COP was calculated based on the amount of cooling produced by the air tunnel and the amount of power required to move the air through the tunnel, while the exergetic efficiency of the air tunnel is found to be in a range among 57.8–63.2%. The overall exergy efficiency value for the system on a product/fuel basis is found to be 60.7%.