Periodic Reporting for period 3 - GEOTeCH (Geothermal Technology for €conomic Cooling and Heating)
Reporting period: 2018-05-01 to 2019-04-30
The disruptive nature of drilling operations introduces challenges to construction management and environmental risks. In shallow geothermal applications rotary straight flush drilling circulating water or mud is used most commonly in softer formations and rotary straight flush using compressed air for hammering used for harder formations. Both technologies require water or a water/air infrastructure consisting of a water source, hoses, tanks, pumps, compressors that need to move around the site together and frequently. This heavy equipment requires a lot of work to move, often in very poor site conditions
GEOT€CH aims to significantly contribute to EU energy and environmental policies, representing a versatile solutions for both new and existing buildings, both residential and commercial, guaranteeing energy saving and GHG emission reductions that are directly proportional to the existing stock, to the further market penetration of the present solution, and to the specific buildings consumptions before retrofitting
The overall aim of the GEOT€CH project is to stimulate and promote greater utilization of renewable heating and cooling using shallow geothermal GSHP systems through advancement of innovative drilling and ground heat exchanger technologies that are significantly more cost-effective, affordable and efficient than current technology. The overall objectives of GEOT€CH will be firstly to raise the Technology Readiness levels of selected innovative drilling and complementary ground heat exchanger technologies (TRL5 to TRL7). It is intended secondly, that application of these technologies will result in improved working conditions and safety levels for construction personnel. These technologies and optimized system solutions are thirdly, to be demonstrated in a number of building types and range of thermal capacities that represent significant market sectors.
GEOT€CH aims to significantly contribute to EU energy and environmental policies, representing a versatile solutions for both new and existing buildings, both residential and commercial, guaranteeing energy saving and GHG emission reductions that are directly proportional to the existing stock, to the further market penetration of the present solution, and to the specific buildings consumptions before retrofitting
The overall aim of the GEOT€CH project is to stimulate and promote greater utilization of renewable heating and cooling using shallow geothermal GSHP systems through advancement of innovative drilling and ground heat exchanger technologies that are significantly more cost-effective, affordable and efficient than current technology. The overall objectives of GEOT€CH will be firstly to raise the Technology Readiness levels of selected innovative drilling and complementary ground heat exchanger technologies (TRL5 to TRL7). It is intended secondly, that application of these technologies will result in improved working conditions and safety levels for construction personnel. These technologies and optimized system solutions are thirdly, to be demonstrated in a number of building types and range of thermal capacities that represent significant market sectors.
One of the main objectives of the project is to improve the drilling technologies for the borehole implementation, during the second period a prototype drill rig and innovated tooling have been tested and validated in different field trials. Although the project’s scope includes such prototype the consortium wants to go beyond. Based on the experiences in the field trials a new drill rig including certification and documentation have been developed and presented in this final period of the project.
Regarding the heat exchangers technology, in the second period an innovative high efficiency co-axial borehole heat exchanger has constructed and a system simulation tools for the innovative borehole heat exchanger have been developed. Also production of advanced design and simulation tools for foundation heat exchangers has taken in place. In this final stage of the project the performance of the whole heat exchangers technology deployed in the different pilot sites have been monitored and validated. Also the reduction of the installation, operation and maintenance costs has been proved.
In order to obtain a “plug-and-play” packaged solution, a heat pump prototypes have been installed and tested in the different involved pilot sites during the second period of the project. Also to make campaigns with the different prototypes and to changes some components to perform better in different operation models. In this very final period of the project a simple design tools and methods to help the end user/installer have been developed and also some fine tunings have been performed and also some heat pump’s problems have been solved.
The project also focused on the development of a whole system geothermal heating and cooling solutions for large buildings (EMS).The objective in this period of the project were to continue to validate the performance and algorithms developed during the previous period for the two EMS approaches.
In this reporting period the consortium has focused in the monitoring and validation of the innovative and integrated geothermal system solutions, on one side addressing the small scale buildings (drilling technologies, heat exchangers, dual source heat pump and control systems). On the other site regarding the large scale buildings (thermo activated foundations and a robust energy management system). Four different pilot sites were under review in order to demonstrate and validate the technologies deployed in each one.
Once the innovative technical solutions have been developed, installed and validated, the assessment of the market opportunities and consolidation of the exploitation and strategies have taken in place in this final period. The consortium performed a map of benefits for the newer technologies and a business model has been established.
Raising public awareness on the GEOT€CH solution, its benefits and potential applications, reaching the widest dissemination of the knowledge generated by the project. Dissemination and communication activities that are mainly consists of periodic updates of the project website, new promotional materials (Newsletter, videos and posters), social network and participation at events. Consortium partners participated in several national and international conferences and fairs of relevance to the research area, in order to disseminate project results to the identified target groups and gain interesting contacts for GEOT€CH that plays important role for technological and new knowledge impact of project.
Regarding the heat exchangers technology, in the second period an innovative high efficiency co-axial borehole heat exchanger has constructed and a system simulation tools for the innovative borehole heat exchanger have been developed. Also production of advanced design and simulation tools for foundation heat exchangers has taken in place. In this final stage of the project the performance of the whole heat exchangers technology deployed in the different pilot sites have been monitored and validated. Also the reduction of the installation, operation and maintenance costs has been proved.
In order to obtain a “plug-and-play” packaged solution, a heat pump prototypes have been installed and tested in the different involved pilot sites during the second period of the project. Also to make campaigns with the different prototypes and to changes some components to perform better in different operation models. In this very final period of the project a simple design tools and methods to help the end user/installer have been developed and also some fine tunings have been performed and also some heat pump’s problems have been solved.
The project also focused on the development of a whole system geothermal heating and cooling solutions for large buildings (EMS).The objective in this period of the project were to continue to validate the performance and algorithms developed during the previous period for the two EMS approaches.
In this reporting period the consortium has focused in the monitoring and validation of the innovative and integrated geothermal system solutions, on one side addressing the small scale buildings (drilling technologies, heat exchangers, dual source heat pump and control systems). On the other site regarding the large scale buildings (thermo activated foundations and a robust energy management system). Four different pilot sites were under review in order to demonstrate and validate the technologies deployed in each one.
Once the innovative technical solutions have been developed, installed and validated, the assessment of the market opportunities and consolidation of the exploitation and strategies have taken in place in this final period. The consortium performed a map of benefits for the newer technologies and a business model has been established.
Raising public awareness on the GEOT€CH solution, its benefits and potential applications, reaching the widest dissemination of the knowledge generated by the project. Dissemination and communication activities that are mainly consists of periodic updates of the project website, new promotional materials (Newsletter, videos and posters), social network and participation at events. Consortium partners participated in several national and international conferences and fairs of relevance to the research area, in order to disseminate project results to the identified target groups and gain interesting contacts for GEOT€CH that plays important role for technological and new knowledge impact of project.
The overall ambition is to produce a cost efficient ground source heat exchanger that has a much-improved performance when compared to conventional U-loop heat exchangers. Improvement of the performance of the heat exchanger through optimization of fluid content, flow rate, spiraling pitch and throw and materials is proposed. This result in further improvements to the existing design but also further design innovation and expansion of the product line. This is accompanied by manufacturing process development with the aim of higher production rates at lower cost.
The inclusion of a hybrid dual-source heat pump is a further innovation that contributes to economic and technical effectiveness of the concept. This heat pump incorporates an integrated refrigerant-air heat exchanger alongside a refrigerant-water heat exchanger. Refrigerant is diverted between one heat exchanger and the other depending on which is thermodynamically most effective.
Within the proposed GEOT€CH project the ambition with regard to foundation heat exchangers is to introduce innovations to the design process as well as the fabrication and installation processes. There is great need for systematic examination of optimal solutions with regard to parameters such as pipe positioning in relation to reinforcement elements and concrete surfaces, hydraulic performance, and impact on stability, structural performance and Geotechnical behavior.
These solutions represent an innovative technology that contributes to environmental protection and provides substantial long-term cost savings and minimized maintenance. This alternative takes advantage of the necessary excavation and drilling activity to introduce heat exchanger loops to achieve ground-coupled heat exchange. The cost of drilling is accordingly mitigated and greater application of geothermal heating and cooling is promoted.
The inclusion of a hybrid dual-source heat pump is a further innovation that contributes to economic and technical effectiveness of the concept. This heat pump incorporates an integrated refrigerant-air heat exchanger alongside a refrigerant-water heat exchanger. Refrigerant is diverted between one heat exchanger and the other depending on which is thermodynamically most effective.
Within the proposed GEOT€CH project the ambition with regard to foundation heat exchangers is to introduce innovations to the design process as well as the fabrication and installation processes. There is great need for systematic examination of optimal solutions with regard to parameters such as pipe positioning in relation to reinforcement elements and concrete surfaces, hydraulic performance, and impact on stability, structural performance and Geotechnical behavior.
These solutions represent an innovative technology that contributes to environmental protection and provides substantial long-term cost savings and minimized maintenance. This alternative takes advantage of the necessary excavation and drilling activity to introduce heat exchanger loops to achieve ground-coupled heat exchange. The cost of drilling is accordingly mitigated and greater application of geothermal heating and cooling is promoted.