Technology description
Winteroperating mode
In winter, when the outdoor temperature is lower than the temperature inside the ground heat exchanger (4–6 oC), the cooled air in the external air gap flows downward into the ground heat exchanger on its own due to the difference in air density, and while passing through the pipe it warms up. The warmed air then flows upward through the internal air gap. As it passes through the roof structure of the dog house, it returns to the external air gap, where it cools down again and flows back into the ground heat exchanger. This creates a self-sustaining, continuous circulation without the need for auxiliary energy. The lower the outdoor temperature, the more intense the airflow becomes. As a result, the amount of heat extracted from the ground increases as the outdoor temperature decreases. Using the extracted heat, the internal temperature of the dog house can be up to 10 oC higher than the outdoor temperature on the coldest winter days. If the outdoor air temperature is higher than the temperature inside the ground heat exchanger, there is no air circulation within the walls of the dog house. In this case, it functions as a conventionally insulated dog house with multiple layers of insulation.
Summeroperating mode
In summer operating mode, the circulation process works similarly to the winter mode, but the airflow is driven by a low-power fan powered by a solar panel. In this case, air cooled in the ground heat exchanger is blown into the internal air gap, pleasantly cooling the inner walls of the dog house. The air that warms up inside the walls returns to the ground heat exchanger through the external air gap, where it cools down again and circulates in a loop, cooling the house using exclusively renewable green energy. When sunlight hits the solar panel at a sufficiently favorable angle, the fan operates continuously while also charging the batteries whenever possible. When sunlight no longer reaches the surface of the solar panel, the batteries power the fan. The solar controller unit monitors the internal temperature of the dog house and switches off the fan below 25 oC, thereby optimizing battery capacity. With the help of the air cooled in the ground heat exchanger, the internal temperature of the dog house can be up to 10 oC lower than the outdoor temperature on the hottest summer days.
When designing the product, our goal was to create a dog house with unique features that is able to provide a comfortable space for dogs using only renewable geothermal energy, in a self-sustaining and fully autonomous way. During the design process, key considerations included sustainability, simplicity, and creating a durable, long-lasting construction.