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.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Interpreting Data!

I have been compiling data from my data loggers for a few weeks now. I have been trying to get a feel as to where to place them, and what variables are coming into play that is affecting the results. What I found was the direct sun was giving me abnormally high readings. The data loggers are black and so absorb the heat, as does the corrugated tubes. SO the tubes were covered and some insulation place around them. SInce I have taken these measures, my readings have been more consistant. I have named my logging locations as the inlet, the outlet and the ambiant air temperature. The ambiant air temperature will become the interior of the cabin temperature as I want to record the effect on temps from the tubes. but for now, that logger is inside the framing, in the shade. I have also taken the temperature of the bottom of the tube system, which remained relativelly constant, fluctuating slightly between 16 degrees and 18 degrees. Here is that graph taken on AUgust 6th and 7th. I have been collecting my data every few weeks in order to stay on top of things and make sure I am eliminating some of the factors in order to maintain  accurate data. If you want  to look at the graphs and photos more closelly, simply double click on the image.

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