Development of a technology to create a heat sink/heat source in an agricultural house in summer/winter without electricity

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K21353
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 41:Agricultural economics and rural sociology, agricultural engineering, and related fields
• Research Institution: Ishikawa Prefectural University
• Principal Investigator: Momose Toshihiko 石川県立大学, 生物資源環境学部, 准教授 (40742515)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-07-30 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 地中熱利用 / 土 / ヒートパイプ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Agricultural greenhouses in summer and winter are harsh temperature environments. In order to increase agricultural productivity throughout the year, cooling and heating technologies that keep initial- and running-costs down are required. Geothermal energy exists directly under the farm house. If this unused heat is brought to the ground, it can be used for house cooling and heating. An important point is how to smoothly perform heat exchange between the surface and the ground with low costs. In this study, we used the soil functioning as a heat pipe to exchange heat between the surface and the ground. The research project found that the soil heat pipe created a continuous heat source in the house in winter. The soil heat pipe created a cold heat source in the summer house, but it kept only for a few days. The continuity of the cold heat source remained an issue.

Free Research Field

土壌物理

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

化石燃料の消費を抑えつつ作物の生育環境や家畜の飼育環境を改善する農業スタイルの実現を目指し、地中熱という未利用エネルギーを活用するための技術開発およびその実証試験を行った。未利用熱活用技術の開発は、脱炭素社会や節電への関心が高まる社会のなかで意義があると考えている。