Distribution,exploitation,and utilization of intermediate-to-deep geothermal resources in eastern China

The part of China,east of the Hu Huanyong Line,is commonly referred to as eastern China.It is characterized by a high population density and a well-developed economy;it also has huge energy demands.This study assesses and promotes the large-scale development of geothermal resources in eastern China by analyzing deep geological structures,geothermal regimes,and typical geothermal systems.These analyses are based on data collected from geotectology,deep geophysics,geothermics,structural geology,and petrology.Determining the distribution patterns of intermediate-to-deep geothermal resources in the region helps develop prospects for their exploitation and utilization.Eastern China hosts superimposed layers of rocks from three major,global tectonic domainsd namely Paleo-Asian,Circum-Pacific,and Tethyan rocks.The structure of its crust and mantle exhibits a special flyover pattern,with basins and mountains as well as well-spaced uplifts and depressions alternatively on top.The lithosphere in Northeast China and North China is characterized by a thin,low density crust and mantle,whereas the lithosphere in South China has a thin,low density crust and a thick,high density mantle.The middle and upper crust contain geobodies with high conductivity and low velocity,with varying degrees of development that create favorable conditions for the formation and enrichment of geothermal resources.Moderate-to-high temperature geothermal resources are distributed in the MesozoiceCenozoic basins in eastern China,although moderate temperature geothermal resources with low abundance dominate.Porous sandstone reservoirs,karstified fractured-vuggy carbonate reservoirs,and fissured granite reservoirs are the main types of geothermal reservoirs in this region.Under the currently available technical conditions,the exploitation and utilization of geothermal resources in eastern China favor direct utilization over large-scale geothermal power generation.In Northeast China and North China,geothermal resources could be applied for large-scale geothermal heating purposes;geothermal heating could be applied during winter along parts of the Yangtze River while geothermal cooling would be more suitable for summer there;geothermal cooling could also be applied to much of South China.Geothermal resources can also be applied to high value-added industries,to aid agricultural practices,and for tourism.

Experimental evaluation of a“U”type earth-to-air heat exchanger planned for narrow installation space in warm climatic conditions

The thermal performance of a“U”type earth-to-air heat exchanger is presented in this experimental study.The device has a serial-connected vertical configuration.The wells where tubes were installed have a depth of fewer than 3 m and are separated every 1.5 m,using an installation area of 3m2.The experimentation was carried out in March in Morelos,Mexico when the environmental temperature reaches 35℃ during the day.The performance of the device was measured and compared to the requirements of an office for cooling purposes within a university campus to reproduce the space restrictions found in urbanized areas.By using a small land surface,it is feasible for urbanized areas.The air temperature inside the“U”type earth-to-air heat exchanger,the surrounding soil temperature,the airspeed,and the power consumed by the fan were measured.The air temperature and the fan’s power consumption data were obtained by modifying the airspeed in four constant values,from 1.3 m/s to 6.6 m/s.Results show that the device evaluated in this work has adequate thermal performance for cooling purposes compared to the requirements of an office.A decrease in air temperature was recorded in a range of 5.1℃ to 9.4℃.Over 70%of the total temperature difference was reached in the first well,where the average soil thermal disturbance at 5 cm was 2.8℃.The device achieved a maximum COP of 12.8 and a maximum effectiveness of 88.4%.With these results,it is concluded that the system is suitable for cooling purposes in areas with space restrictions.This work is novel since the dimensions available for installation in urbanized areas are considered and compared with the thermal requirements of an office.In addition to the fact that there are no published works with vertical heat exchangers connected in series.