Abstract
The objective of this study is to make clear passive heating and cooling effect of the model rooms coupled with the soil. We carried out numerical calculations for the various earth-contact model rooms based on the two-dimensional finite element analysis and estimated interior thermal environment. According to the calculated results, it can be concluded as follows: (1) The earth-contact area is more dominant factor than the earth-contact configuration in the formation of indoor air temperature of the earth coupled model room. And the daily difference between the maximum and minimum indoor air temperature becomes smaller than the annual difference in proportion to the in-crease of the earth-contact area. (2) As the earth contact area increases, the amount of heat supply and extraction rate for air-conditioning becomes smaller and the fluctuation of indoor air temperature is more stable in the middle season. (3) In order to reduce air-conditioning load of the rooms coupled with the soil, it is important that the non-contact wall with the soil is insulated. (4) A model room of which floor and one side wall contact with the earth, a half underground model room and a half bermed model room, which have the identical earth-contact area, are at the almost same indoor air temperature and air-conditioning load.
