Learn how you can take advantage of the soil’s moderating temperatures for cooling and passive climate control in buildings, workshops, and more. Living Web Farms’ Black Soldier Fly breeding facility uses the energy of the sun and the heat capacity stored in the earth’s subsoil to create a controlled inside climate with minimal or no energy input.
Richard Freudenberger, is our Energy and Resource Coordinator and will explain how the system works, what materials are used, and what factors you need to know before embarking on a project of your own. We’ll look at siting, costs, calculations, limitations, and what does and does not work with real world expectations wen installing your earth cooling tube ventilation system.
What if you’re lowest point in the pipe is very close to the inlet?
ie if you started at the bottom of a steep hill and made the pipe rise from that point all the way up to the house.. all the while staying underground?
Also why do you have to insulate the chimney.?
On a separate point – Wouldnt it be better to shade the inlet tubes at the room end as well.
I have a spring pond fifty feet from my cabin, could I partially submerge a pipe and push air through it? I would insulate the length that is dry.
why not link the tubes so the air that goes out just comes right back only cooler?
I wonder about setting solar chimney more horizontally. One side a few feet higher. That way more heat would be transmitted yet maintaining air flow direction. If the chimney could be tilted test could be performed on what position worked best. My guess is 45 degrees. Two chimneys connected in center like a V would catch morning, noon and eve.
The other chimney consideration is what size promotes most airflow. Since horizontal can the roof top (no plants) serve as one wall of the chimney, the bottom wall.
I think the down pipe section should be outside and connect to building low, to prevent heat accidentally going in. Some breeze dampening to prevent hot air being pushed in. A n ultra light cellophane valve that flaps shut.
In short, what dimensions make for cheapest and best convection airflow?
I was also wondering about condensation in cooling tubes. Thinking that the lines should have same slope as plumbing waste pipe and then join in underground access box like septic tank but open bottom filled with pea rock to absorb moisture. One good advantage of pipe size your running is you could clean out pipe dragging soaped mop head or similar on a rope. Avoiding mold.
Another thought is why not make the cooling tubes more compact by using 90 bends forming an expanding square. (a square that starts off with small sides and grows in size as square coils go around previous square). That way you might fit the current length in something like a 4×4 hole. I dont know if heat dissipation would be effective.
Sir,
I am from India, State West Bengal.Going to start a new project for mushroom which required temperature of 20 to 25 Degree Centigrade. Our normal and average temp around 30 to 40 degree Centigrade. I have seen your youtube video about Ground-Air Heat Exchanger. And your uploaded video. It is very interesting. I want to know more about it. And I want to install this system for my project if it is viable.
Looks hot in there
Why not run the tubes underground to just under the end and go into container low? Maybe with baffle on entry? Much less exposed tube and maybe better (heat rising) airflow? Was there a reason the tubes had to enter container up high?
Insulating a solar chimney defeats the purpose
6- 8 feet deep is a stable temp over most of 48 states US
A local auction house had a sale last year, and I managed to buy something, it appears no one else knew what it even was, for $10. I got a brand new heat exchanger, I Live in Central New England, and other than digging down further than 4', and using solid 4" flex pipe, with a few weep holes at a low spot for condensate, wonder what else I need to know. Any thoughts by anyone on this system idea? I have access to a backhoe, so, flexible pipe is the only cost, and then the electricity for the small fans in the heat exchanger. Thanks
How can you use PVC piping in earth cooling tubes? That reduces the conduction of heat energy by more then 50%. The scary part of all this, is you are holding a seminar a out the topic. Teaching the wrong information. That project should have used corrugated metal piping, and never ever have two ends elevated to allow accumulation of condensation. You people should not be teaching!
Multiple design mistakes with these cooling tubes. Ridiculous.
The volume of that container needs a 4'' pipe that runs 136'. I know there is no official formula for these geothermal stuff, but I feel like you are not giving the air the time to exchange. You have bigger diameter with a short run. Some people successfully built a green house and maintained the temperature using earth tubing. Earth is great and thanks for sharing
I would think that more smaller tubes would work better then fewer bigger tubes. Also PVC is fairly easy to bend so if you could bend a long sweeping curve into it the air would flow better.
Pondering a project for my cabin, looking for feedback… here's what I'm thinking: water tanks (not sure what material yet, need to find out what is available in 1000 gallon that have a material with a good heat conductivity), buried 4ft down with manhole tube access, with multiple several inch diameter flexible tubes (also not sure what material yet re conductivity) run from cabin as a return air, then run into tank(s) and coiled inside, then out and in to another tank (repeat as necessary) and then run back into cabin as the 'cool air' output into cabin. In ground tanks are filled with water for good heat transfer/conductivity, and then backfilled with a proper mix of conductive material (clay, sand, etc) over tank and up to manhole cover. The thinking is, with a conductive tank, the water, and a conductive series of tubes (run in parallel, effectively) that are insulated above ground coming and going from cabin, and a series of 12 volt marine fans on the input and output in the cabin moving a large volume of air through multiple tubes slowly enough for heat dissipation, and the earth is effectively cooling the water tanks making them de facto heat exchangers.. should, after a tank or two in the ground, create more than enough cooling for a 20×24 cabin.
I'll admit, I don't have a good solution for condensation in the tubes. They wouldn't have a drain as they're in the water in the tanks. Dessicants? Heating elements inside the tubing for periodic heating/clearing of condensation?
open to ideas!
This is a horrible rambling presentation on an important topic. No overall discussion of the goal or the plan or the results. Just carrying on about insignificant details and sidebar discussions. What's the goal? What's the purpose? Using geothermal heat to do what?
lots of nonessential conversation with this demo… Zzzz-Zzz
Almost half way through and it has barely touched the subject. Are we going to talk about the siding or windows next?
Have you considered using a duct valve? Once the interior air gets cooler than exterior air, you could engage the valve causing the air to flow in a "closed" loop fashion. As in, the air going into the underground ducts is pulled from the room and then returned to the room. This would mean the air would begin the loop at a cooler temperature rather than pulling the warmer air from outside.
Thank You.
I forgot to ask You. Can these earth tubes be used in a trpical zone? Again Thank You.
Confused, why are the cooling inputs at the top of the container, rather than at the bottom edge, did I miss something? surely the incoming air will just be drawn towards the chimney, creating a flow pattern that will negate the overall cooling effect?
1:10 Here on planet Earth we like to discourage folks being sent into ditches like that. So, I hope that is YOU.
Those interested in Geo thermal earth tubes may wish to view a series of videos posted here on YT from a gentleman in France. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4nMsHqCTeI&ab_channel=nrlog
He used the reverse "Canadian Well" concept similar to the video shown here. In you have somewhat level land and a basement, then a conventional Canadian well would be a better option ( The air pickup 150 feet away, sloping 3% down towards the basement ) Some use a thermal chimney to draw the cool air via convection, somewhat like an Earthship. Another option is use a "Whole House Fan". My land slopes, and I don't plan a basement, so for me a reverse CW is the better option, similar to the way it was done in the video(s) I linked. I plan to use the same components: https://www.luftladen.com/erdwaermetauscherrohr-ring-50m-200mm-447/ , they seem to only be available for the most part from Germany, France, and the UK. The Hekatherm pipe is about 7.87 inches O.D. , it twin wall, smooth on the inside, antimicrobial, strong, supposed to have decent heat transfer for plastic. Pitching 3% provides for condensate drainage to the low point, a siphon fitting is offered with a maintenance clean out plug. One can annually dump a bucket of Chlorinated water down the tubes after removing the plugs from the maintenance ports first, and catch the solution in another bucket. Google hekatherm and look at the image results to see the various fittings and systems offered by various companies.
Sorry but talk about talking about anything but focusing on the important information.
Side note on the excavation. Typical Occupational Health & Safety guidelines for a working trench is maximum 150cm with spoil piles a min of 1m from edge of trench. This standard can be shallower pending your ground conditions. Any deeper and the risks of trench collapse becomes life threatening. If you are planning to trench, read up on excavation safety. Clearly there was no research done with regards to this.
Organize yr thoughts before splaining. Better yet, get anyone else to do the talking. Your great ideas are ruined by erratic explanation. I'd rather hammer my thumb than listen to your choppy, unorganized blather.
Can you post those lengths on temps at different depths in the description? thanks.
Just wondering how metal pipes would work compared to pvc…seems to me like it might cool the air even more. Now cost might be a problem….but if one has the resources, would it cool better…esp. if it's on a consistent upper slope with big trees around it to shade the ambient air..???