Abstract
The earth provides a vast resource of groundwater from aquifers a few meters beneath the surface. Thus, buildings that use underground space must be equipped with dewatering wells to drain the permeated groundwater to the sewage pipelines to ensure the structural stability of the building. Although the inflowing groundwater temperatures and flow rates are stable enough for groundwater to be used as an energy source, 79% of the permeated groundwater is discarded through the sewers, generating significant sewerage expenses. This study introduced a novel heat exchanger module to utilize the permeated groundwater as an unused energy source using heat pumps, and the performance of the system was evaluated by TRNSYS simulations. First, the sizing of the unit heat exchanger module was proposed according to the mean inflow rate of the permeated groundwater. Second, the heat pump system was configured using multiple modules in the source-side loop. Finally, the performance of the proposed heat pump system was compared with that of a conventional air source heat pump using realistic load and temperature profiles. This preliminary study demonstrated interesting performance results, with a coefficient of performance for heating that was higher than that of a conventional heat pump system by 0.79. The results show the potential utilization of the systems for a construction project requiring large-scale underground spaces, where abundant groundwater is available.
Highlights
Upon the adoption of the Paris Agreement by the United Nations Climate ChangeConference (UNCCC) in 2015, countries worldwide agreed to limit the increase in the average atmospheric temperature to below 2 ◦ C by cooperating to reduce their respective greenhouse gas emissions [1]
According to the regulation of the Seoul metropolitan government [4], 5–15% of the energy consumption of new buildings constructed before the year 2025 will be required to utilize alternative energy through new and renewable energy systems
Owing to the advancement in technologies of pertinent applications, new and renewable energy sources, such as geothermal energy used in buildings, have been applied to diverse fields worldwide
Summary
Upon the adoption of the Paris Agreement by the United Nations Climate ChangeConference (UNCCC) in 2015, countries worldwide agreed to limit the increase in the average atmospheric temperature to below 2 ◦ C by cooperating to reduce their respective greenhouse gas emissions [1]. Korea, ranking seventh in greenhouse gas emissions, set a goal to reduce emissions by 37% of the current emissions by 2030 and has developed and implemented diverse regulations for industries, transportation, buildings, and the public sector. The Korean government has encouraged the installation of new and renewable energy systems to minimize the consumption of fossil fuels and intends to implement the mandatory installation of these systems for all types of buildings by 2030. According to the regulation of the Seoul metropolitan government [4], 5–15% of the energy consumption of new buildings constructed before the year 2025 will be required to utilize alternative energy through new and renewable energy systems. New buildings frequently adopt new and renewable energy systems, instead of existing systems using fossil fuels, for the operation of public spaces, such as elevators or underground parking lots. Under the governmental regulations that encourage the introduction of systems comprising solar energy, geothermal heat pumps, and fuel cells, which require a considerable initial investment, construction companies in the private sector have attempted unprecedented approaches to secure unused and economical sources of energy
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