Geothermal–Peltier Hybrid System for Air Cooling and Water Recovery

Michele Spagnolo, Paolo Maria Congedo (), Alessandro Buscemi, Gianluca Falcicchia Ferrara, Marina Bonomolo and Cristina Baglivo
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Michele Spagnolo: Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Paolo Maria Congedo: Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Alessandro Buscemi: Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Gianluca Falcicchia Ferrara: Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Marina Bonomolo: Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Cristina Baglivo: Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 15, 1-17

Abstract: This study proposes a new air treatment system that integrates dehumidification, cooling, and water recovery using a Horizontal Air–Ground Heat Exchanger (HAGHE) combined with Peltier cells. The airflow generated by a fan flows through an HAGHE until it meets a septum on which Peltier cells are placed, and then separates into two distinct streams that lap the two surfaces of the Peltier cells: one stream passes through the cold surfaces, undergoing both sensible and latent cooling with dehumidification; the other stream passes through the hot surfaces, increasing its temperature. The two treated air streams may then pass through a mixing chamber, where they are combined in the appropriate proportions to achieve the desired air supply conditions and ensure thermal comfort in the indoor environment. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis was carried out to simulate the thermal interaction between the HAGHE and the surrounding soil. The simulation focused on a system installed under the subtropical climate conditions of Nairobi, Africa. The simulation results demonstrate that the HAGHE system is capable of reducing the air temperature by several degrees under typical summer conditions, with enhanced performance observed when the soil is moist. Condensation phenomena were triggered when the relative humidity of the inlet air exceeded 60%, contributing additional cooling through latent heat extraction. The proposed HAGHE–Peltier system can be easily powered by renewable energy sources and configured for stand-alone operation, making it particularly suitable for off-grid applications.

Keywords: geothermal energy; condensation process; heat transfer; HAGHE; Peltier cell (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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