odeling and Experimental Analysis of an Air-Soil Heat Exchanger Integrated into a Greenhouse in Southern Algeria

Abstract

The world's primary energy sources are fossil fuels, such as oil and gas, which are known to hurt the environment. However, there has been increasing interest in geothermal energy as a renewable and cleaner alternative in recent years. Despite its potential, geothermal energy is not widely used globally or in Algeria. To address this, a study was conducted to determine the possibility of using ground heat exchangers in southern regions to enhance thermal comfort in homes, reduce electricity consumption, and reduce gas emissions. An air-soil heat exchanger was constructed in the Ouargla region - Kasdi Merbah University, with dimensions of 4 meters in depth and 40 meters in length, using PVC pipes with a diameter of 110 mm. The experimental results were compared with some previous studies to calculate soil temperature and saturation and showed good agreement at a depth of 4 meters. However, there were slight differences in the results due to the difference in shape, depth, and nature of the materials used in construction .