Three Heating Seasons Monitoring of Usage of Low Enthalpy Geothermal Resources:Exergetic Performance Analysis of an EAHE Assisted Agricultural Building

Abstract

The study experimentally investigated the exergetic performance (efficiency) of a closed loop Earth (geothermal) to Air Heat Exchanger (EAHE) in the heating mode. EAHE systems are used as a technique from ancient times for heating and cooling purposes, and they make it possible to evaluate low enthalpy geothermal resources. The experimental system was commissioned in June 2009 and experimental data collection has been conducted since then. The data, consisting of hourly thermodynamic records for heating over a three year period from 2009-2012, were measured by the Solar Energy Institute of the Bornova Campus at Ege University. At the present time, the database contains more than 30000 records of measurements. Exergetic efficiencies based on the performance of the system components have been analyzed. Furthermore, the long term exergetic performance of a closed loop EAHE agricultural building heating system was monitored to develop a performance assessment model. Exergetic efficiency of the overall system and its components at various reference states are also determined.