The new Prototype of the Pneumo Planet Earth House
The first stage of our prototype is completed. With the support and funding by the European Space Agency ESA-BIC and County Niederösterreich
Pneumo Planet consists of cost efficient prefabricated ultra-light inflatable room modules that can be assembled in various ways to complete customised buildings that are mainly buried underground.
it requires no energy for heating or cooling
requires minimal resources for building material
blends into the landscape
is one third cheaper to construct than a conventional building
how the inflatable structure of the Pneumo Planet earth house is made
The structure consists of a double layered inflatable membrane. The outer layer is a double-side TPU coated polyester fabric. UV-resistant , flame retardant and fungus resistant. The inner layer is coated on one side only, while facing textile fabric to the interior pace
Both layers are welded together in a modular triangular grid formation. By inflating the space between these two layers , we form a soft smooth curved wall consisting of inflated triangular cushions
how the temperature is kept moderate in side the inflatable earth house
While the prefabricated structure has very little mass, we benefit from the thermal properties of the surrounding natural soil:
The deeper the soil layer, the more stable the temperature remains throughout the year. In Central Europe, outdoor temperatures can range from -20 to +40 degrees Celsius.
At a depth of 3 meters, however, the ground temperature fluctuates only slightly around +10 degrees.
hard foam heat insulation panels are laid around the building to keep the temperature of the soil layer closest to the building on a higher level.
In addition, the soil reacts to seasonal temperature changes with a time delay. It warms up later than the air and cools down later as well.
As a result, the annual temperature peak shifts from July to October,
and the lowest point shifts from January to April — a time when outdoor air temperatures are already rising again and higher solar gains are available through the windows.
annual temperature diagram curves
Pneumo Planet inflatable earth house vs. conventional building made if bricks and concrete: primary energy requirement
Photographs of the Pneumo Planet Earth House Prototype
Fresh air is drawn through long subterranean suction channels . The air absorbs the moderate temperature of the soil. This helps to cool the building in summer. While in Winter the air is preheated before it crosses the exhaust air via a heat exchanger
Exhaust air also ist guided through a long earth tunnel so it can transfer heat into the soil in summer , to obtain a higher temperature level of the surrounding soil until winter.
