Türkiye develops AI-powered system to reduce urban heat from air conditioning
A project being developed in İzmir aims to transfer waste heat generated during building cooling into the deeper layers of the ground rather than releasing it into the outdoor environment.
The project uses artificial intelligence-supported design to improve energy efficiency and reduce the urban heat island effect, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.
According to a statement from Yaşar University, increased use of air conditioning during the summer cools indoor spaces but releases hot air outdoors, contributing to higher temperatures in cities.
To address this problem by taking advantage of the natural coolness underground, a project has been developed under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Mustafa Tutar, head of Yaşar University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.
The project, involving Prof. Dr. Arif Hepbaşlı, Dr. Aslı Tiktaş and researcher Yağız Ali İlmi Güçlü, involves transferring waste heat generated during building cooling into deeper layers of the soil through spiral pipes.
The method aims to prevent additional hot-air emissions into the outdoor environment while cooling living spaces.
The system is designed using deep-learning-based artificial intelligence algorithms. Multiple variables, including the soil’s thermophysical properties, pipe diameter and length, number of bends, and the temperature and flow rate of the fluid, are analyzed simultaneously. This allows researchers to identify a design that provides the highest cooling performance with the lowest energy consumption.
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Tutar said previous studies on underground cooling systems had generally examined design parameters independently, whereas in real-world applications all variables interact with one another.
“We combine advanced computer simulations with deep-learning-based artificial intelligence methods. This allows us to analyze hundreds of thousands of design scenarios in a short time using large datasets and determine in advance the optimum system that provides the highest cooling performance at the lowest cost,” Tutar said.
Tutar added that the team is also working to prevent excessive long-term heating of the soil, noting that soil has a limited capacity to serve as a thermal energy storage medium.
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