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Geo Exchange Heap Pump1
Geo Exchange Heap Pump1
1 ABSTRACT 1
2 INTRODUCTION 2
6 TYPES OF LOOPS 11
7 COMPARING SYSTEM 16
8 CONCLUSION 21
9 REFERENCES 23
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ABSTRACT
Today world faces many environmental problems such as global
worming. All industrial countries are encouraging development of new
renewable energy technologies. Geothermal energy is gaining importance as
alternate source of energy. Geothermal energy is heat from higher pressure
steam coming from within the earth. It is renewable source of energy derived
from rain water in the earth heated to over 180oC by subterranean hot rocks.
Geoexchange heat pump is one of the applications of geothermal energy. It
uses the earth’s renewable energy just below the surface to heat or to cool
home or building etc. It is ground surface heat pump. A few feet beneath the
surface the earth temperature remains constant, geoexchange take advantage
of this to provide extremely efficient heating and cooling. Geoexchange
pump can be used for heating in winter and cooling in summer. The only
external energy needed for geoexchange is small amount of electricity to
operate ground loop pump and fan. Geoexchange heat pump is safe, low in
cost except installing cost. This paper presents an overview of the
geoexchange heat pump working, advantages with illustration.
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INTRODUTION
In 1997, 'Kyoto protocol' says that industrialized countries will reduce
emission of Green House Gases (GHGs) by at least 5% compared to 1990
levels by the period extending from 2008 to 2012. GHGs are vital because
they act like a blanket around the earth. Without this natural blanket the
earth's surface would be some 30 C colder than it is today. Human activity is
making the blanket 'thicker'. For example, when we burn coal, oil, and
natural gas we spew huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. If
GHGs emission continue to grow at the current rate, it is almost certain that
atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide will double from pre-industrial levels
during the next century. If no steps are taken to slow greenhouse gas
emissions, it is quite possible that levels will triple by the year 2100. The
most direct result is likely to be 'global warming' of 1.5 to 4.5 C over the
next 100 years.
Though India has been exempted from signing the Kyoto protocol, in
future it has to be a part of this convention and reduce emission of CO2-
which means reduction in usage of coal and other fossil fuels. This is the
time for India to launch its geothermal energy resources programmed in a
big way to implement clean development mechanism (CDM). The country
has enormous resources, which are lying untapped.
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The country has the know-how and technology sources to generate
power and support various industries using geothermal energy. Future for
development of geothermal energy fits in very well under the above
described Kyoto-FCCC. World funding organizations and developed
countries, which are using extensively geothermal energy, are keen to
promote this energy sources to reduce GHGs by India.Geoexchange
technology uses the earth's renewable energy, just below the surface, to heat
or cool a home or other building, and to help provide hot water. It's
sometimes referred to as a geothermal heat pump, a ground source heat
pump, or green heat. The basic technology has been around for more than 30
years, and many homeowners and businesses have been enjoying the
benefits of geoexchange for much of that time. In recent years, though, many
improvements have been made in the materials used, the installation
methods, and the efficiencies of the compressors, pumps and other
equipment.
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HOW DOES IT WORKS
Homeowners in virtually every region of the United States are
enjoying a high level of comfort and significantly reducing their energy use
today with geoexchange (geothermal) heating and cooling.
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ground or submersed in a pond or lake. Fluid circulating in the loop carries
this heat to the home. An indoor geoexchange system then uses electrically-
driven compressors and heat exchangers in a vapor compression cycle--the
same principle employed in a refrigerator--to concentrate the Earth’s energy
and release it inside the home at a higher temperature. In typical systems,
duct fans distribute the heat to various rooms.
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In summer, the process is reversed in order to cool the home. Excess
heat is drawn from the home, expelled to the loop, and absorbed by the
Earth. Geoexchange systems provide cooling in the same way that a
refrigerator keeps its contents cool--by drawing heat from the interior, not by
injecting cold air.
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In winter, it’s much easier to capture heat from the soil at a moderate
50o F. than from the atmosphere when the air temperature is below zero.
This is also why geoexchange systems encounter no difficulty blowing
comfortably warm air through a home’s ventilation system, even when the
outdoor air temperature is extremely cold.2 Conversely, in summer, the
relatively cool ground absorbs a home’s waste heat more readily than the
warm outdoor air.
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Studies show that approximately 70 percent of the energy used in a
geoexchange heating cooling system is renewable energy from the ground.
The remainder is clean, electrical energy which is employed to concentrate
heat and transport it from one location to another. In winter, the ground
soaks up solar energy and provides a barrier to cold air. In summer, the
ground heats up more slowly than the outside air.
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MAKING HOT WATER
Geoexchange systems can also provide all or part of a household’s hot
water. This can be highly economical, especially if the home already has a
geoexchange system, hence a ground loop, in place.
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THE EARTH CONNECTION
Once installed, the loop in a geoexchange system remains out of sight
beneath the Earth’s surface while it works unobtrusively to tap the heating
and cooling nature provides. The loop is made of a material that is
extraordinarily durable but which allows heat to pass through efficiently.
This is important so it doesn’t retard the exchange of heat between the Earth
and the fluid in the loop. Loop manufacturers typically use high-density
polyethylene, a tough plastic. When installers connect sections of pipe, they
heat fuse the joints. This makes the connections stronger than the pipe itself.
Some loop manufacturers offer up to 50-year warranties. The fluid in the
loop is water or an environmentally safe antifreeze solution that circulates
through the pipes in a closed system.
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TYPES OF LOOPS
Most loops for residential geoexchange systems are installed either
horizontally or vertically in the ground, or submersed in water in a pond or
lake. In most cases, the fluid runs through the loop in a closed system, but
open-loop systems may be used where local codes permit. Each type of loop
configuration has its own, unique advantages and disadvantages, as
explained below:
This configuration is usually the most cost effective when adequate yard
space is available and trenches are easy to dig. Workers use trenchers or
backhoes to dig the trenches three to six feet below the ground, then lay a
series of parallel plastic pipes.
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They backfill the trench, taking care not to allow sharp rocks or debris to
damage the pipes. Fluid runs through the pipe in a closed system. A typical
horizontal loop will be 400 to 600 feet long per ton of heating and cooling
capacity. The pipe may be curled into a slinky shape in order to fit more of it
into shorter trenches, but while this reduces the amount of land space needed
it may require more pipe. Horizontal ground loops are easiest to install while
a home is under construction. However, new types of digging equipment
that allow horizontal boring are making it possible to retrofit geoexchange
systems into existing homes with minimal disturbance to lawns. Horizontal
boring machines can even allow loops to be installed under existing
buildings or driveways.
This type of loop configuration is ideal for homes where yard space is
insufficient to permit horizontal buildings with large heating and cooling
loads, when the Earth is rocky close to the surface, or for retrofit
applications where minimum disruption of the landscaping is desired.
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Contractors bore vertical holes in the ground 150 to 450 feet deep. Each hole
contains a single loop of pipe with a U-bend at the bottom. After the pipe is
inserted, the hole is backfilled or grouted. Each vertical pipe is then
connected to a horizontal pipe, which is also concealed underground. The
horizontal pipe then carries fluid in a closed system to and from the
geoexchange system. Vertical loops are generally more expensive to install,
but require less piping than horizontal loops because the Earth deeper down
is alternatingly cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
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The fluid circulates through polyethylene piping in a closed system,
just as it does in the ground loops. Typically, workers run the pipe to the
water, then submerge long sections under water. The pipe may be coiled in a
slinky shape to fit more of it into a given amount of space. Geoexchange
experts recommend using a pond loop only if the water level never drops
below six to eight feet at its lowest level to assure sufficient heat-transfer
capability. Pond loops used in a closed system result in no adverse impacts
on the aquatic system.
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Open loop systems, in fact, are the simplest to install and have been
used successfully for decades in areas where local codes permit. In this type
of system, ground water from an aquifer is piped directly from the well to
the building, where it transfers its heat to a heat pump. After it leaves the
building, the water is pumped back into the same aquifer via a second well--
called a discharge well--located at a suitable distance from the first. Local
environmental officials should be consulted whenever an open loop system
is being considered.
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COMPARING SYSTEM
Central heating systems have been considered a necessity in our
homes and businesses for many years. When comparing available systems,
consumers should carefully consider safety, installation cost, operating
costs, maintenance costs, and comfort.
Types of Systems
There are two basic types of systems — those that require a flame to
operate (i.e., combustion based), and those that do not. Most central systems
presently installed create heat by combustion, just as they did in the early
part of the century. These systems use a furnace to burn a fossil fuel (such as
oil, natural gas or propane) or, in some instances, wood. More advanced,
non-combustion systems operate by transferring or moving heat from one
location to another.
Combustion-Based Systems
Until the last few years, combustion-based systems have been the
preferred heating systems for home and business owners because of their
moderate installation and operating costs, and wide availability in the market
place. Unfortunately, there are a number of serious safety and related
maintenance concerns with these systems.
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Heat Transfer Systems
Heat Pumps
Much less electricity is used to move heat rather than create it, making
heat pumps more economical than resistance heating. However, in all but the
most moderate climates, the heating ability of the heat pump is limited by
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freezing outdoor temperatures. So electric resistance heat is used to
supplement outdoor-air-source heat pump during the coldest weather,
preventing "cold blow."
Geoexchange Systems
More recently, even more advanced and efficient heating and cooling
systems have emerged using the geoexchange process. Sometimes called
geothermal or ground-source heat pumps, these systems move or transfer
heat like the air-source heat pumps. However, they exchange heat with the
earth rather than the outdoor air.
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more efficient than resistance heating and water heating alone, and have no
combustion or indoor air pollutants.
Since there is no outdoor unit (as with air-source heat pumps or the
central air conditioners used with combustion-based systems), no weather-
related maintenance is required.
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CONCLUSIONS
When comparing heating systems, safety, installation cost, operating
costs, and maintenance costs must be considered. To simplify the selection
process, installation, operating, and maintenance costs can be combined into
a life-cycle cost — the cost of ownership over a period of years. The table
below compares the various types of central heating systems:
based Concern
Heat pump Excellent Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate
Geoexchange Excellent High Low Low Low
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REFERECES
[1] www.Google.com
[2] www.Wikipedia.com
[3] www.Igshpa.okstate.edu
[4] www.Ecoiq.com
[5] www.Cnn.com
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