Heating and storage of medium-deep borehole heat exchangers: Analysis of operational characteristics via an optimized analytical solution model

Abstract

This study focuses on investigating the thermal storage potential of medium-deep borehole heat exchanger (MDBHE) to address the issues of temperature attenuation of thermal reservoir and heating capacity reduction during the one-way heat extraction process in the heating period. By establishing an MDBHE heating system that integrates an external thermal storage source, a comprehensive analysis of the heat transfer progress and operational characteristics of the MDBHE is conducted, including optimizing burial depth, thermal storage scenarios, and aquifer conditions. The calculated solution under the typical thermal storage conditions (S60–30) in this study reveals that the average heat supply capacity increasement of a 1200 m MDBHE is 37.2 % higher than that of a 2000 m MDBHE, and the power consumption of the circulating water pump also can be reduced by 40 % in heating period. Furthermore, the enhancement of storage temperature and flow rate both contribute to a noticeable improvement in the heating performance of the MDBHE during the heating period. The heat transfer power and energy efficiency of MDBHE both increase with the elevation of seepage velocity and aquifer thickness during the energy storage and heating period. The significance of this research lies in its contribution to the enhancement of thermal storage and heat transfer efficiency in MDBHE and offering novel insights for the multi-thermal energy storage systems.