WHY EARTH TUBES?

Why Earth Tubes? When I first stumbled upon earth tubes, I was searching for a natural and passive means of air conditioning for homes. I remember seeing a photo of such a system in an arabic country in one of the many green architecture books I have read. I couldn't find that system, but was very pleased with what I had found. Earth tubes are a method to precondition the air for your home or building. The system is very simple, .tubes are buried under the ground where the temperature stays relativelly constant. There is an inlet for the ambient air to enter the system. As it travels through the tubes, it is conditioned by the temperature under ground. In the winter the air is warmed, in the summer it is cooled. The air then enters your building by an outlet using a small fan to keep the air flowing. Thus your air is pre conditioned.



Who am I? My name is Chris Carrier. I am a husband, a father, a student at Thompson Rivers University, an employee with the city of Kamloops, and have been a number of different things at different times and stages of my life. I am not a typical student, since I am in my early forties. I have been interested in green buildings and architecture since my days as a tree house dweller in Uclulet, BC. I am also a budding writer. My published works include "Dragon Problem's" by Hur publishing and an article entitled "Of Kids and Hobbits" published in Kamloops Momma, a local parenting magazine.



What is the goal of the research? The main goal of my research is to determine if earth tubes are a viable option for Kamloops, BC. In addition to this, I would like to find low impact technologies that could be used in the construction industry that could be used to lessen the environmental impacts of the way we do things in the construction industry. As the planet continues to warm, a leaner, meaner, way of constructing homes and buildings can be achieved, today. The technology exists to change course. I have taken my LEED Green Associate course and hope to incorporate some of the technologies into my research.



As part of my research, I have been building a small cabin on a relatives property. I have built an earth tube system and have been testing it throughout the summer. The cabin will become a sort of testing ground for different systems I am interested in. The cabin has been built old school, using a hand saw, a cordless drill, and a hammer and nails. I have been posting pictures on the blog to keep people updated with my project.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Idea's from Dan Condon

Here are the idea's Dan sent to my email.

"Comments on research project

1. You may wish to try different materials for the pipe. Since this
is where the heat transfer takes place and will also be where
condensation or moisture absorption takes place the material and
thickness of the pipe will have a noted affect on the efficiency of the
system. For example if you use plastic pipe it will likely not transfer
heat that well and will not absorb heat that well compared to metal or
clay or wood pipe.

2. The best way to remove heat from air is through evaporative
cooling - by passing dry air over or through water, evaporation will
draw a large amount of heat from the air - in our climate for cooling,
the addition of water to the air would be a plus.

3. Pipes that pass through water will transfer heat better than a
pipe in contact with dry ground. Alternatively a car radiator that the
air passes through could work well.

4. The insulation under the building probably is not necessary as
that area will not reach the higher outside temperatures.

5. An alternative to laying serpentine tubing would be to install
fins on the inside of the tube to create turbulence.

6. An alternative to bringing the cool air into the bottom of the
cabin is to have it come in at the very top of the cabin where it will
mix with the air as it seeks out the lower level. When bringing cool
air in the bottom the bottom floor will be always cool and the top floor
will be always hot (like a conventional basement and upper floor of a
house). Or try both to see which works better.

Dan"
Posted by at 4 comments:

Monday, March 28, 2011

SECTION VIEW OF TINY CABIN!!

Posted by at 6 comments:

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Brain break!!!

Posted by at No comments:

I just posted my abstract and would love any feedback on it.

What do you think, is my abstract too short? I would love any feedback I can get. Thanks

Peace

Chris
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THESIS QUESTION:

How does an earth tube system perform with respect to the cooling of residential buildings in Kamloops, British Columbia?
Posted by at 1 comment:

Friday, March 25, 2011

Just about done a small cabin/house design.

I'm just about done a small cabin design, instead of a small box, I want to try to salvage some materials and build a small house. There are some cool examples of tiny houses and it is a trend in the US. Minimalism, cool idea, I bet they don't have kids. If interested at looking at some of these houses, here is a link.

http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/sustainable-happiness/living-large-in-a-tiny-house?gclid=CO2lzPaf66cCFQU6gwodXSxCag

I don't think I want to go that tiny, since I have a wife and two kids, but I think I can make a pretty comfortable place with less than 200 square feet. I will post the graphics with the earth tube system once I get them converted to a compatable format.
Posted by at 2 comments:

UREAP Scholarship has been approved!!

I just wanted to post that my project on earth-air tubes has been approved by The U-REAP program. I just got my letter today. I am excited and nervous about such an undertaking, I guess now I have to get to work on my models and building plans. Looking forward to getting a small building built. Congrats to everyone else who received the award.

Peace

Chris
Posted by at 7 comments:
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