A Simplified Thermal Design Model for a Single Vertical U-Tube Borehole Utilized in Ground-Coupled Source Heat Pumps

Abstract

The present work dealt with the thermal assessments of the ground-coupled heat pump heat exchangers utilized in the field of geothermal energy source. A model was performed to predict the overall thermal resistance of a single vertical heat exchanger embedded in the borehole. The philosophy of the U-tube replacement with a single equivalent tube size was implemented with new development. Four tube sizes were used to build several borehole geometry configurations, they were (9.53) mm, (12.7) mm, (15.88) mm, and (19.05) mm accommodated in borehole sizes of (65) mm, (75) mm, (90) mm, and (100) mm respectively. Twelve borehole geometry configurations were examined as DX condensers circulate R410A refrigerant. These geometry assemblies produced a range of (0.29-0.57) for tube spacing to borehole ratio tested at (0.73) W/m K to (1.9) W/m K filling thermal conductivity range. The results of the present correlation showed good agreement with previously published correlations in the open literature. A mean temperature difference between the condensed vapor refrigerant and soil was assumed to have existed as (14) °C. Increasing the tube spacing from (2) to (3) times the tube diameter exhibited an augmentation in the heat loading of the borehole. This rise in the heat loadings of the U-tube was (8-10) % and (13-17) % for the geometry configurations of (9.53) mm and (12.7) mm tube sizes respectively. The tube diameter has also shown its importance in the thermal process of the borehole. At (75) mm borehole size and tube spacing of (2) times tube outside diameter, the predicted borehole thermal resistance for (9.53) mm tube diameter was higher than that of (19.05) mm one by (78-80) % for the test range of grout thermal conductivity.