Abstract

Groundwater can be considered a non-polluting, renewable energy source. It can be used as a fluid in industrial, commercial, and residential building heating and air-conditioning systems. Usually, the water table is deep enough, so atmospheric conditions have a negligible influence on water temperature. Consequently, annual temperature variations are minor, and groundwater can therefore also be considered a reliable energy source. This paper presents some aspects of groundwater heat pump (GWHP) well design and addresses problems that can occur during their exploitation. The heat pump system consists of two types of well: extraction wells and recharge wells. This paper shows that the distance between the two is a crucial parameter that affects the efficiency of the whole system. An example of well design for a production hall groundwater heat pump is given. The wells were constructed in the northern part of Croatia. Geological and the hydrogeological conditions at the site, regarding water temperature and soil hydraulic conductivity, are highly favorable. Due to insufficient distance between wells, thermal breakthrough occurred, i.e., water temperature in the extraction well rose, which resulted in the lower efficiency of the GWHP system.

Highlights

  • The direct use of groundwater for heating and cooling buildings has been gaining more attention recently

  • The groundwater heat pump (GWHP), a type of ground heat pump (GHP), uses thermal energy stored in an aquifer for heating and air-conditioning buildings

  • An estimate can be given on the feasibility and the efficiency of the GWHP system for a specific case

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Summary

Introduction

The direct use of groundwater for heating and cooling buildings has been gaining more attention recently. The reason for this is groundwater’s large potential, which is derived from multiple factors, the most prominent of which is being environmentally friendly. The groundwater heat pump (GWHP), a type of ground heat pump (GHP), uses thermal energy stored in an aquifer for heating and air-conditioning buildings. A GWHP comprises an aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system, a heat pump unit, and a terminal air conditioning system. When compared with closed-loop systems, a groundwater heat pump can achieve a higher heat exchange rate (HEX). The significant influence of the recharge well on the temperature increase in the extraction well, i.e., thermal breakthrough, was detected. The temperature increase in the extraction well led to the decreased efficiency of the heat pump

Geological and Hydrogeological Characteristics of the Location
In-Situ Measurements of Aquifer Characteristics
Thermal Breakthrough
Findings
Conclusions
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