06/10/2014

DENM035/DEN438
Renewable Energy Sources
Ground Source Energy
Dr Hua Sheng Wang

(7 Oct 2014)

Content

Why does the ground offer energy for heating and

cooling?
li ?

How can we extract energy from the ground?

Direct use groundwater systems

Closed loop groundwater systems

H t pumps
Heat

How do ground energy systems perform?

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Geothermal Energy
Geothermal
beresources
broken into
Most
text books resources
discuss these
only
3 distinct groups:-

High temperature (HT)>150 oC for use in electrical

power generation
Intermediate temperature 30<(IT)<150 oC direct use for
heating and hot water provision
Much less on this
Low temperature (LT) <30oC, for cooling and for use
with ground source heat pumps

Ground temperature vs Depth

0oC

Ground temperature
p
(oC))
o
10 C

20oC

30oC

1
10
100
1000

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Ground temperature vs Local depth

January

20

April
July

Ground Temperature ( C)

25

15

October

10
5
0
0

10

15

-5
-10
Depth (metres)

Ground source systems in the UK

800,000 Borehole records from 19th century onwards

[Link]
bgs ac u

First ground source energy systems reported 1970s

[Sumner, 1976]

Ground source systems high on Government agenda

By installing
B
i t lli
ground
d source h
heatt pumps, we can
save money on fuel bills, help the environment and
get back in touch with where our energy comes
from (28 March 2006 Malcolm Wicks Energy
Minister [Link]

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Ground source data in the UK

Secret
<10m
10<depth<30 m
>30m

Actual use - ground source heat pumps

370000

200000

600000

140000
120000
100000
80000

70000

65000

60000
40000

30000

30000 30000

20000

20000

10000

2000
U
K

SA

an
y
et
he
rla
nd
s
N
or
w
ay
Sw
ed
en
Sw
itz
er
la
nd

e
an
c

er
m
G

Fr

Fi
nl
an
d

lg
iu
m
Be

st
ria

0
Au

Numbe
er of GSHP installed 2001..

180000
160000 150000

Sources: Lund et al 2004 and Donnerbauer 2003

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Types of ground coupled cooling system

Open loop normally direct use systems
Closed loop
Direct use
Heat pump coupled

Open Loop Systems

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Groundwater cooling at Portcullis House

Groundwater cooling at Portcullis House

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How groundwater occurs in rocks

How groundwater occurs in rocks

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The London Aquifer

Confining
fi i
Clay
l
Layer

The Downs

Chalk Aquifer

The Chiltons

A body of permeable rock able

to hold or transmit water

Groundwater flow in London

Flow from Downs

Flow from Chiltons

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Groundwater levels in London

Groundwater peaks
close to Thames

Reduction in industrial activity

Reduced abstraction
G/W level rise at 3m/year in 1990s

Groundwater levels in London

Industrial Revolution ==>

use of
groundwater increases,
level of groundwater
decreases

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Groundwater levels in London

Interference with
buildings foundations
and underground
infrastructure

To abstract water
There needs to be water available!
You may need a licence
You may need to pay for the water you use
You may need to pay to return the water to the sewers
Is there an existing borehole?
Speak to the Environment Agency

10

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Abstraction charges

Region

SUC (/1000m3)

Region

SUC
(/1000m3)

Anglian

20.78

Thames

11.35

South West

17.75

Northumbria

21.72

Midlands

12.17

Wessex

17.75

North West

11.60

Yorkshire

9.46

Southern

16.01

EA Wales

10.89

Factors affecting viability

Availability of resource: Depth of resource and ground
material to be drilled. (how easy you can drill)

Confirm the resource quantity and well flow rate early

Distance between resource and application site, most
projects < 1500m

(higher distance, higher cost)

Resource temperature (most approx. 12oC, London 14oC)

Quality
y and composition
p
of fluid
Particulates fouling and erosion
Bacteria fouling
Chemicals corrosion and fouling

Disposal, Resource life

11

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Before You Specify .

Yield
(m3/s )

que bosta de grfico

Draw down (m)

Before You Specify .

12

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Closed loop systems

Outside Temp. 35 0C

Domestic or small
commercial building

House Temp. 20 0C
Summer
application

<=== cooling system

G
Ground
d Temp
T
12

0C

The water is
cooled by the
earth and
pumped back to
the house

Types of Ground Source Heat Exchanger (GSHE)

Horizontal
Vertical
Spiral / slinky

13

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Horizontal GSHE

Horizontal GSHE

1200

1200

1200
1500

1800

1800
1200

a. One pipe per trench

c. Three pipes per trench

b. Two pipes per trench

1200
1500

1200
1500

600 mm

d. Four pipes per trench

e. Six pipes per trench

14

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Spiral or Slinky GSHE

f. Slinky trench

Compared with horizontal,

slinky requires about 30%
trench length

Vertical GSHE

a) Single U- tube

b) Double U- tube

15- 150 m deep

100-150 mm diameter

15

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Vertical GSHE

15- 150 m deep

100-150 mm diameter

Comparison between GSHE types

Footprint
- horizontal 30 W/m2
- slinky 100 W/m2
- vertical 500 W/m2
Construction cost
Design software
- GLHEPRO
- EED

16

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Trenching

Ramming

Augering

17

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Heat Transfer via the Ground

FFR:
At this point, soil
temperature has
minor changes.

Farfield
Radius
FFR

Heat Transfer via the Ground

Heat transfer per unit lenght of heat exchanger at
different soil diameters
12
10
Far field Radius

W/mK

8
6
4
2
0
0

Radius of heat transfer m

18

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Limitations to applications

Low heat transfer means

- High temperature difference
- Cooling output maximum 40 W/m of GSHE
- More surface required
- Borehole cost 1000/ kW

But
COP > 40

One way to increase ground heat transfer at

marginal cost is
Thermopiles

90 piles 50 kW cooling

19

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Thermopiles
Drilling
ground to
insert pilereinforcing
cage prior
to pouring
concrete

Heat
exchanger
tube
Pile
reinforcing
cage

Another way to increase heat transfer is Ground

source heat pumps GSHP

Further temperature amplification (doubles the

temperature difference)
Can achieve heating and cooling from one system
Requires a 4 way reversing valve

20

06/10/2014

Ground source heat pumps GSHP

Eva
por
ator

Con
den
ser
Tc =25oC

18oC

Eva
por
ator

Te=5oC

Te = 0oC

Cooling mode

22oC

Con
den
ser

8oC

5oC

Tc = 50oC

Heating mode

Ground temperature = 10oC

Energy Efficiency of GSHP

2
1

Compressor work, W = h2 h1
Q evap = h1 h4
Q_evap
Q_cond = h2 h3
COP = Q_evap / W (cooling)
COP = Q_cond / W (heating)
Tg: Ground water temperature
Ta: Air temperature
Tg Ta in summer
Tg<Ta
lower condensation pressure
W = (h2 h1) < h2 h1
higher cooling COP

Air source HP
Ground source HP

'
Tg>Ta in winter
higher evaporation pressure
W = (h2 h1) < h2 h1
higher heating COP

(air source HP doesn't work

well on winters. T < 0C, ice
is formed, HP stops
working)

21

06/10/2014

Cost comparison for heating

New boiler
((condensing)
g)

Ground source heat pump

100kWh

100kWh

Seasonal
efficiency

88%

400%

Energy input,
kWh

113.6

25

Cost of
o
energy, p/kWh

31
3.1p

82p
8.2

Cost of input
energy

3.52

2.05

CO2 emitted

21.6 kg

10.75kg

Heating load

Cost comparison for air conditioning

Air source heat pump

Ground source heat pump

100kWh

100kWh

Seasonal efficiency

280% SPF

320% SPF

Energy input, kWh

35.7

31.25

Cost of energy, p/kWh

8.2p

8.2p

Cost of input energy

2.93

2.56

CO2 emitted

15.3kg

13.2kg

Cooling load

22

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Lower Temperature Cooling

For a refrigeration
cold store
application @ 20oC

2.4
2.2
2
CoP

1.8

2.3

1.7

1.6
1.4
1.2
1
Air source

Ground source

Lower Temperature Cooling

We can install the

GSHE under the
car park of a
supermarket and
have a ice free
surface in winter!

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Limitation 1 to application
Low COP means no carbon saving!
A vertical
GSHP/R-22 in
heating mode,
COP reported
of

1.6
[Solar Energy
Institute in
Ege
University]

Limitation 1 to application
Low COP means no carbon saving!

Trench (200 m
tubes buried in
1 m down to
the earth), COP
of 3.16
reported

Open loop
system (18
units) COP of
4.5 reported

Borehole
system (18 m)
COP of 2.5
reported

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Overcoming Limitation 1
Minimum COP Benchmarks

GSHP COP normally in this area (3.3-4.5) [IEA, 2001]

Turkey
Ege. Uni.

Limitation 2 to application
Heat pollution
D is ta n c e L

D ista n c e L
H e at p u m p

H e a t pu m p

G ro u n d le v e l

G ro u n d le v e l

W a te r ta b le . G r a d ie n t i

W a s te h e a t
re m o v ed
w ith g ro u n d w a te r

G ro un d w ate r fl ow

G ro u n d w a te r flo w
W ell
S c re e n

W e ll
S c re e n

T h e r m al b re a k th ro ug h
o f W a s te h e a t

T h e rm a l
p lu m e

140

1 35

130

125

1 20

11 5

11 0

T h e rm a l
p lu m e

13 5

130

125

120

11 5

11 0

25

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Conclusions
The ground is at constant temperature suitable for
cooling and pre-heating

Ground source systems save significant carbon and

energy

Application and economics determine the type of system

to be used

Use a specialist consultant to justify a good

performance, carefully modelled!!!

Speak to the Environment Agency

26