On the application of ground-source heat pumps
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This year, a rush to switch from coal to gas heating took place in the northern regions, and the high demand for natural gas led to the failure of heating systems on a large scale in many areas. LNG prices are rising steadily, and the price per ton has now exceeded 10,000! In the areas along and south of the Yangtze River, where the lowest temperatures generally remain above -5°C, the coefficient of performance of air-source heat pump systems is still acceptable. In North China, where temperatures drop below -15°C, the coefficient of performance of air-source heat pump systems is too low, making them practically unusable in winter. I believe that in northern regions, geothermal heat pump systems that utilize soil heat storage for heating should have much lower operating costs compared to direct electric heating. I wonder if there is anyone among the experts here who has worked on geothermal heat pump heating projects? How is it performing in practice?
;P My previous employer was Jiangsu Taina Energy Saving Co., Ltd. Specializing in geothermal heating. If you have quite good connections and are able to do this, I can try to help you make the contacts. If you just want to learn about it or learn from each other. I can also help you get a copy of the material.
yx5494 I’m not in the engineering field, and I don’t have any connections that could help me get such projects. I just think this technology could possibly serve as an option for heating projects in northern regions. If you have any experience or information in this area that you could share, I would be very grateful!
Many places have already started using geothermal systems
Geothermal energy and ground-source heat pumps seem to be two different things. Sinopec Xinxing Company is engaged in geothermal energy projects; it has carried out many model projects in Xiong County, where the groundwater temperature is very high, allowing for direct heat exchange to be used for heating. However, there are still many cases where the water temperature is not high enough, and due to environmental regulations requiring the reinjection of groundwater after heat exchange, the economic feasibility of these projects cannot be satisfied. The dry hot rock mentioned in recent reports is a hot topic, but it’s in the northwest! It’s too far!
Drilling a geothermal well is too expensive, and it’s difficult to meet environmental regulations. Ground-source heat pumps are a better option; many residential complexes use them. They take advantage of temperature differences, but it’s essential to return the heat to the ground, and their economic viability isn’t very good
Agree with the person on floor 6; first, it depends on the quality of geothermal resources in the location of the project, and measures should be taken according to local conditions； Secondly, environmental regulations are becoming increasingly strict. In the past, people would turn a blind eye to certain issues, but that’s no longer possible; water must be re-injected back into the system, which poses a challenge for companies in terms of their water supply. I think in the future, cogeneration should be promoted vigorously; ideally, tri-generation of heat, power, and cooling should be implemented, without turning pale at the mention of coal. This is because many projects that appear to use clean energy actually pose pollution problems as well; for example, the failure to reinject geothermal well water, nitrogen oxide emissions from LNG, and even photovoltaic power generation, which seems to have no downsides at all. In fact, the production of silicon wafers and solar cells used in photovoltaic systems was a highly energy-intensive and polluting industry before 2012. Pollution issues were largely resolved after that year, but the industry remains energy-intensive. “\"Having pollutants\" and \"causing pollution\" are two different things; pollution is only caused when proper handling is not followed. Zero emissions may not be achievable, but if it meets the **standards**, we will say that it is “pollution-free”.
What the original poster is referring to is a soil-source heat pump system, which involves burying HDPE pipes vertically in the ground; heat is exchanged between the water circulating within these pipes and the soil. These pipes can generally be buried up to 100 meters deep. It is a closed system, distinct from systems that involve extracting and reinjecting groundwater. To be able to use this system, many tests need to be conducted, such as tests on the depth of pipe burial and tests on the heat exchange efficiency……