Study on the influencing factors of rock-soil thermophysical parameters in shallow geothermal energy

Thermophysical parameters are the main parameters affecting the utilization efficiency of shallow geothermal energy. Based on the research and evaluation data of shallow geothermal energy in capital cities of China, this paper analyzes the differences between two testing methods and finds that data measured in in-situ thermal conductivity test is closer to the actual utilization. This paper analyzes the influencing factors of thermophysical parameters from lithology, density, moisture content and porosity: The thermal conductivity coefficient of bedrock is generally higher than Quaternary system loose bed soil; as for the coefficient of bedrock, dolomite, shale and granite are higher while gabbro, sandstone and mudstone are lower; as for the coefficient of loose bed, pebble and gravel are higher while clay and silt are lower. As the particle size of sand decreases, the thermal conductivity coefficient declines accordingly. The thermal conductivity coefficient increases linearly with growing density and decreases in logarithm with growing moisture content as well as porosity; specific heat capacity decreases in logarithm with growing density, increases in power exponent with growing moisture content and decreases linearly with growing porosity. The thermal conductivity coefficient is high when hydrodynamic condition is good and vice versa. The conclusions of this paper have guiding significance for the research, evaluation and development of shallow geothermal energy in other areas.

Evaluation of shallow geothermal energy resources in the Beijing-Tianjin- Hebei Plain based on land use

To discover the characteristics,distribution and potential of shallow geothermal energy in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Plain area.This paper,based on a large amount of data collection and field investigations,evaluateed the shallow-layer geothermal energy in the study area through the analytic hierarchy process and comprehensive index method.Based on suitability zoning results superimposed with 1:100000 land use data,the study area is divided into encouraged,controlled,restricted and prospective mining areas regarding the development of shallow geothermal energy,and the economic availability of shallow geothermal energy in the encouraged and controlled areas are evaluated.The results show that the shallow geothermal energy in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Plain can meet the heating and cooling demand of 6×10^(8) m2 of buildings,equivalent to 1.15×10^(7) t of standard coal,thus reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 2.73×10^(7) t and reducing sulfur dioxide emissions by 1.95×10^(5) t.According to the development and utilization mode,the energy demand level and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development plan,the development and utilization of geothermal resources in the plain area has two types:Urban concentrated mining areas and rural scattered mining areas.The scale and level of intensive utilization of regional geothermal resources are of great significance.

A state-of-the-art review on shallow geothermal ventilation systems with thermal performance enhancement-system classifications,advanced technologies and applications

Geothermal energy with abundance and large quantity can partially cover building heating/cooling loads and promote the carbon-neutrality transitions.Shallow geothermal ventilation(SGV)system,with a little initial in-vestment cost,is one of promising technologies to partly replace the conventional air-conditioning system for air pre-cooling/pre-heating.This paper reviews applications of SGV system for improving thermal performance over latest two decades,which mainly includes the reclassification of SGV system,coupling with other advanced energy-saving technologies,application potentials for building cooling/heating under various weather conditions.Heat transfer mechanism and mathematical modelling techniques have been reviewed,together with in-depth analysis on current research trends,existing limitations,and recommendations of SGV system.Phase change materials,with considerable latent energy density,can stabilize the thermal performance with high reliability.The review identifies that optimization designs and advanced approaches need to be investigated to address the existing urgent issues of SGV system(e.g.,large land occupation,difficulty in centralized collection of condensate water timely for horizontal buried pipe,bacteria growth,polluted supply air,and high construction cost for ver-tical buried pipe).A plenty of studies show that the SGV system could greatly expand the application scope and improve system energy efficiency by combining with other energy-saving technologies.This paper will provide some guidelines for the scientific researchers and engineers to keep track on recent advancements and research trends of SGV system for the building thermal performance enhancement and pave path for future research works.

Prospects of shallow geothermal systems in HVAC for NZEB

Shallow geothermal systems use the thermal inertia of the earth to provide a temperature gradient between the ambient conditions and the underground soil.This thermal inertia can be used by the heat exchangers to provide space heating and cooling during the winters and summers.This paper provides a brief but broad overview of the different active and passive technologies involved in the use of heat exchangers for HVAC in order to achieve a near net zero energy building.Firstly the different types of ground heat exchangers and heat pumps are introduced along with the relevant studies of significance in this field.It has been demonstrated that the different types of heat exchangers can be integrated with thermally active building envelopes and renewable energy resources to significantly minimize the building energy use.Finally a pathway has been devised for use of ground heat exchangers to realize a net zero energy building.

Hydrothermal interactions in energy walls

Energy geostructures(EGs)employ heat exchangers embedded in concrete geostructures,such as piles,walls,tunnels,and sewers.In this study,energy walls(EWs)are studied with an emphasis on the following objectives:(1)to understand the fundamentals of hydrothermal interactions acting in the vicinity of EWs caused by groundwater seepage in saturated soil;(2)to highlight hydraulically induced thermal effects and their consequences on the thermal performance of EWs.Extensive three-dimensional hydrothermal finite element analyses are performed considering two groundwater flow conditions:perpendicular and parallel to the EW.The thermal activation of the geostructure locally modifies the flownet with respect to the non-isothermal case because of the temperature dependency of the water properties.Mutual interactions between seepage directions and thermal activation are analyzed.Remarkable thermal interactions are detected within the heat exchangers.The thermal behavior of EGs is highly affected by an incorrect evaluation of the hydraulically induced thermal effects,which may result in an overestimation of the thermal behavior.Conversely,an efficient thermal design,which considers such interactions,may increase the thermal potential of EGs.

Application and development of ground source heat pump technology in China

Ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) are one of the renewable energy technologies with features of high efficiency, energy saving, economic feasibility and environmental protection. In China, GSHPs have been widely used for building heating and cooling in recent years, and have shown great potential for future energy development. This paper summarizes the classification, development history, and use status of shallow GSHPs. Several typical engineering cases of GSHP technology are also specified and analyzed. Finally, promising development trends and some advanced technologies are illustrated.