Earth air tunnels are basically underground heat exchangers.

It uses the heat

storing capacity of the Earth. The temperature of the ground four meters below
the surface remains almost constant throughout the year and it is equal to the
average annual ambient air temperature, which is typically 26˚C. This very stable
thermal environment can be coupled to buildings with the help of an earth air
pipe system to create human thermal comfort conditions inside when ambient
air is drawn through underground pipes, the air is cooled in summer and heated
in winter, before it is used for ventilation. This makes it a useful substitute for air
conditions and heaters in buildings- it can be used for cooling in summer and
heating in winter.

It’s basically a series of metallic, plastic or concrete pipes buried underground at

a depth of 3-4 meters, through which fresh atmospheric air flows. According to
the temperature difference, heat transfer to or from the soil and air in the pipes
takes place.

There are three types of Earth air tunnels:

1. In a closed loop system, the air from inside the building is blown through a U
shaped loop of pipes that are about 30 to 150 meters in length. The air is
moderated to near Earth temperature before returning to be distributed via
ductwork throughout the building. It cools and re-cools the same air.

2. In an open system, the outside air is drawn from a filtered air intake and the
cooling tubes are usually 30-meter long straight tubes drawn into a building. The
process is of exchanging the energy contained from outdoor ventilation. The
system pre-cools and dehumidifies during warmer seasons and humidifying and
pre-heating during cooler seasons. It is not as efficient as a closed loop system.

3. Combination system is a combination of a closed loop and an open system.

They can be made with dampers that allow closed or open operation depending
on the need for fresh air.

At TERI, Earth air tunnels have been successful. The living quarters are
maintained at temperature approximately between 20˚C to 30˚C throughout the
year. The system uses tunnel, air intake ports and dehumidification. The treated
air is passed through ducts and supply grills and is allowed to escape to the
atmosphere after affecting the desired heat transfer in space.

*Fan required to ventilate air

The variables of an Earth air tunnel:

1. Tube depth: The ground temperature is defined by surrounding

temperature, composition of soil, heat storing capacity of the soil and the
amount of soil the water has. The ground temperature remains stable as
you go deeper into the Earth. It fluctuates a little on the surface. So
burying the pipes as deep as possible would be ideal, but going in too
 deep would reduce the temperature greatly. Generally 4 meters would be
an ideal depth.
2. Tube length: Heat transfer depends on surface area. And the surface area
of a pipe depends on its diameter and length. So a longer tube of
increased length would increase heat transfer so make the Earth air
tunnel more useful. But this is true only till a certain limit, after a certain
length has been reached, so more significant heat transfers happen. So for
the sake of economic efficiency, it’s better to use an optimum length. But
increased length also results in increased pressure drop, which leads to
increased fan energy.
3. Tube diameter: A smaller diameter gives a better thermal performance.
Small diameters also help in larger pressure drops just like long lengths,
thus increasing fan energy requirement. A larger diameter also results in
a lower air speed and lower amount of heat transfer.
4. Air flow rate: High flow rates result in increase of total heat temperature,
increase in outlet temperature and increase in film coefficient. They are
desired in closed systems. They are selected on the basis of outlet
temperature and total cooling or heating capacity.
5. Tube material: It has little influence on performance. Spacing between
tubes should be enough so that tubes are thermally independent to
maximize benefits. Selection based on- cost, strength, corrosion,
resistance, durability

http://ashraeindia.org/pdf/Angad_Deep_Singh.pdf