Shallow geothermal energy suitability map presents the potential for implementation in a region. The potential for implementation depends on hydrogeology, geotechnical, geology environment, and ...geothermal characteristics. Plenty of scholars evaluate shallow geothermal energy by the algorithm combined Analytic Hierarchy Process and Index Overlap. But Analytic Hierarchy Process and Index Overlap, as knowledge driven methods, rely on the experts' experience. This research presents a data driven algorithm based on Entropy Weight Method and TOPSIS Method. The weights are calculated by the Entropy Weight Method and assigned to the TOPSIS model. The closeness coefficient could be calculated by TOPSIS model. The suitability potential is analysed by comparing the closeness coefficient. The algorithm is accomplished by coding a program using Matlab. The algorithm is also applied to Nantong, China. Depending on the principle of ground source heat pump system, the suitability evaluation system of the open loop system and the closed loop system are established, respectively. Hydrogeology, geotechnical, geothermal, and geology environmental investigations are carried out to obtain the measured data and parameters for suitability analysis. The suitability maps are drawn in according with closeness coefficient. The algorithm is able to overcome the subjectivity of experts' experience. Compared with knowledge driven methods, the proposed algorithm tends to compare the relative potential in a region, rather than assess whether the site is suitable for SGE implementation. Consequently, it is more suitable for selecting the best field-site.
Borehole heat exchanger is essential component in ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs) for developing geothermal energy, where device efficiency depends on the thermal conductivity of soil. Although the ...thermal response test is generally used to measure this parameter, its time-consuming and susceptibility to test conditions can impact the accuracy of the test. To address this issue, the study conducted shallow geothermal surveys to establish a comprehensive dataset, enabling the construction of the in-situ thermal conductivity predictive model. By selecting seven input features, four classic tree-based ensemble learning models and stacking algorithms were used. Among all the post-tuned models examined, XGBoost-RF emerged as the standout performer, boasting an impressive R2 value of 0.9809 along with the lowest RMSE and MAE. Notably, it demonstrated generalization capabilities, with errors consistently staying within 5 % during the validation process. Additionally, the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) was used to enhance the interpretability of the model. Among these, the weighted thermal conductivity of the geotechnical was the most influential feature, while groundwater conditions such as permeability coefficient and aquifer thickness were also significant factors. This study provides a rapid and precise prediction of regional in-situ thermal conductivity. It leads to effective decision-making in the design stage of GSHPs.
The geothermal potential of cities Bayer, Peter; Attard, Guillaume; Blum, Philipp ...
Renewable & sustainable energy reviews,
05/2019, Volume:
106
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
What is the heat beneath our feet? There is a growing interest in the geothermal resources available at shallow depth beneath cities. However, there exists no general procedure for quantifying the ...low-temperature geothermal potential in urban ground and groundwater. This review categorizes previous work based on different definitions of the geothermal potential and compares the different assessment methods used. It is demonstrated that the theoretical potential of the available heat at a shallow depth is enormous, especially when not only the heat in place, but also compensating heat fluxes are considered. The technical potential describes the extractable heat by a specific technology. The methods to evaluate the extractable heat are manifold, including the use of technical performance standards, analytical and numerical simulation tools and mathematical regression procedures. These are different for groundwater well based open-loop systems and heat-exchanger-based closed loop systems, and the results depend on variable local factors, the density of systems applied and whether heat and/or cold is utilized. We contrast the published findings based on the power density and the relative contribution to the demand of a city. The broad span of the results highlights the need for a more consistent framework that distinguishes between the conceptual assumptions for calculating the technical geothermal potential and the local city-specific factors. This will be the basis for a reliable analysis of the economic geothermal potential of low-temperature geothermal applications on a local, district or city scale. This will also enhance the reliability and the trust in these technologies, and thus the public acceptance reflected in the acceptable geothermal potential.
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•Exploration of the manifold computational concepts behind geothermal potential.•Development of a common novel framework with differently defined potential classes.•Assessment of available approaches for quantification of different potential types.•Contrasting of previous findings for the geothermal potential to the energy demand.
The widespread application of renewable energy, particularly in water desalination, is critical for addressing global water scarcity. This paper proposes a novel hybrid sustainable desalination ...method that harnesses both solar and shallow geothermal energy through evaporation and condensation processes. The desalination device under consideration uses a parabolic trough solar collector to evaporate saline water, and then transports the generated water vapor to an underground vertical conduit. The vapor cools as a result of the underground low temperature, leading to condensation and the formation of fresh water. To assess the freshwater production capacity of the proposed system, a simple lab-scale prototype was developed. The experimental prototype's findings emphasize the substantial influence of temperature and velocity of water vapor at the inlet of the buried pipe on the efficiency of freshwater production. Despite its small scale, the prototype outperforms other solar desalination methods, producing a remarkable output of 740 ml/h of fresh water under specific conditions (temperature: 53 °C, velocity: 1.4 m/s) With an estimated productivity of 90 l m−2 day−1,the present desalination prototype is more effective when compared with other earlier experimental studies of solar desalination systems such as active solar still and humidifier, dehumidifier solar systems, This research contributes to the advancement of sustainable desalination technologies, holding promise for addressing water scarcity challenges globally.
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•Combines solar and shallow geothermal energy for water desalination.•A laboratory prototype was developed to assess feasibility and efficiency under controlled conditions.•Experimental tests focused on freshwater production capacity.•The proposed hybrid system demonstrates a sustainable and efficient method for freshwater production, promising for larger-scale applications.
This paper proposes an approach to optimize the technical potential of thermal groundwater use by determining the optimal sizing and placement of extraction–injection well doublets. The approach ...quantifies the maximum technically achievable volume of extracted groundwater in a given area and, hence, the amount of heat exchanged with the aquifer, considering relevant regulatory and hydraulic constraints. The hydraulic constraints ensure acceptable drawdown and rise of groundwater in extraction and injection wells for sustainable use, respectively, prevention of internal hydraulic breakthroughs, and adequate spacing between neighboring doublets. Analytical expressions representing these constraints are integrated into a mixed-integer linear optimization framework allowing efficient application to relatively large areas. The applicability of the approach is demonstrated by a real case study in Munich, where the geothermal potential of each city block is optimized independently. Six optimization scenarios, differing in terms of required minimum installed doublet capacity and spacings between doublets, underline the adaptability of the approach. The approach provides a comprehensive and optimized potential assessment and can be readily applied to other geographic locations. This makes it a valuable tool for thermal groundwater management and spatial energy planning, such as the planning of fourth and fifth generation district heating systems.
•A new approach to optimize the technical potential of thermal groundwater use.•The approach determines the optimal sizing and placement of well doublets.•The approach considers relevant technical and regulatory constraints.•Hydraulic constraints on groundwater pumping and injection rates are included.•Suitable for thermal groundwater management and spatial energy planning.
Many cities worldwide lay upon alluvial aquifers which have a great potential for low temperature geothermal installations thanks to the thermal diffusive properties of saturated porous media and the ...constant temperature of the subsurface. In addition, aquifers with fast moving groundwater have a higher potential due to the additional energy replenishment by advection, which is often underestimated.
This work aims at bridging the gap between quantitative hydro-thermal numerical analysis and regional scale assessment developing a process-based surrogate model for the estimation of the thermal exchange (geothermal) potential of ground source heat pumps (GSHP) considering groundwater advection. The proposed method is based on a synthetic 3D FEM model reproducing the infinite line source configuration and introducing groundwater advection. Conductive/advective g-functions were derived from the numerically simulated space-time thermal perturbation for a comprehensive set of hydrogeological regimes, and a surrogate model was developed by a machine learning (ML) regression of the thermal response of the system. This solution, beyond the run time of the numerical study and the ML training phase, is very fast, applicable at any scale and scalable to any desired depth.
The trained model can be used to predict the geothermal potential of GSHP for almost all sedimentary basins around the world upon the availability of the required input data (aquifer thickness and saturation, aquifer porosity and groundwater flow velocity). In this study, large scale geothermal potential maps were generated from input layers implemented in a GIS, for a demonstrative area in northern Italy showing highly variable groundwater flow (Darcy velocity from 10−3 to 10+3 m/y). A promising increase (up to +250 %) in the thermal exchange potential of GSHP due to the contribution of advection was highlighted discussing the benefits of groundwater flow and the amount of usable potential with implications on shallow geothermal energy management and development.
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•A new approach to assess the regional geothermal potential with groundwater flow•Numerically derived g-functions considering advection to evaluate the potential•Numerical results implemented at regional scale by machine learning surrogate model•Benefits of groundwater flow discussed considering the usable/unusable potential
Accurate estimation of thermal ground properties is needed to optimally apply shallow geothermal energy technologies, which are of growing importance for the heating and cooling sector. A special ...challenge is posed by the often significant heterogeneity and variability of the geological media at a site. As an innovative investigation method, here the focus is on the actively heated fiber optics based thermal response test (ATRT). A type of copper mesh heated optical cable (CMHC), which both serves as a heating source and a temperature sensing cable, was applied in the field in a borehole. By inducing the electric current to the cable at a relatively low power of 26 W/m, the in-situ heating process was recorded at high depth resolution. This information serves to infer the thermal conductivity distribution along the borehole. The presented field experience reveals that the temperature rise in the early phase of the test should not be used due to initial heat accumulation caused by the outer jacket of the CMHC. The comparison of these results with those of a conventional thermal response test (TRT) and a distributed thermal response test (DTRT) in the same borehole confirmed that the ATRT result is reliable (with a difference less than 5% and 1%, respectively), since this novel method affords much less energy and test time. Additionally, the ATRT result agrees well with ground thermal conductivities tested in the lab, which supports its potential as an advanced geothermal field investigation technique in the future.
•Actively heated fiber optics based thermal response test is introduced.•A radially symmetric cable with heating and sensing elements is employed.•The novel method offers a more efficient thermal property evaluation in the field.•This fast and economical method leads to better understanding of geothermal energy.
Advanced thermal response tests: A review Wilke, Sascha; Menberg, Kathrin; Steger, Hagen ...
Renewable & sustainable energy reviews,
March 2020, 2020-03-00, Volume:
119
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
In this study, the historical and technical development and the current status of distributed (DTRT) and enhanced (ETRT) thermal response tests (TRT) are reviewed. The different test setups of these ...advanced TRT are critically assessed and future research questions are outlined. Advanced TRT use specific temperature measurement techniques for the depth-resolved determination of site-specific ground parameters that are required for an optimal design of borehole heat exchanger (BHE) fields. The depth-resolved determination of these thermal properties, such as effective thermal conductivities and thermal borehole resistances, is the key advantage in comparison to conventional TRT, promising economic benefits during the installation and operating phase of ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems. Various test setups exist which differ regarding the heating procedure, i.e. circulating heating fluid and heating wire, the temperature measurement technique, i.e. optical fiber and wireless probe, as well as in their suitability for parameter estimation. These advanced techniques can furthermore provide information about geological layers, fractured zones and groundwater influenced sections in the subsurface as well as inadequate backfilled zones along the borehole heat exchanger. Despite this, advanced TRT are reported in international literature only for a few locations and some test setups are purely theoretical without any practical demonstration. Uncertainties exist regarding the comparability of the test setups, the sensitivity of the measurement devices under test conditions, as well as the best evaluation procedure. Also, scarce information is available about the use beyond academic field and economic aspects in comparison to conventional TRT. Encouraging further research and a more extensive transfer of these promising techniques from academia to practice is therefore also the aim of this review.
•Advanced TRT enable the depth-resolved determination of ground thermal parameters.•The temperature measurement is conducted either by optical fibers or wireless probes.•Different test setups exist for advanced TRT, with individual (dis)advantages.•Open questions exist regarding the best test setup and the utilization in practice.
Energy consumption for thermal purposes represents the most impacting energy issue in the European building sector. In addition to space heating, space cooling is constantly growing, due also to ...climate change, which provokes extreme hot events in summer even in moderate climates. To approach this challenge, it is essential to invest in lowering the overall energy demand, to increase the energy conversion efficiencies and to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources.
The research here presented deals with the European decarbonization goals and focuses on shallow geothermal technology in district thermal systems (DTS), i.e. Geo-5GDHC.
The research investigates whether Geo-5GDHC can be cost-effective in different scenarios based on climatic contexts, insulation levels and the possible integration of photovoltaic and thermal technology (PVT).
Through the elaboration of proper KPIs and the implementation and use of a tool specifically developed to couple a Geo-5GDHC energy assessment model with an economic analysis (PILEDHC), the research highlights results and guidelines for providing solutions for new and innovative DTS, considering both energy and economic aspects in different contexts.
•District thermal systems are framed in climate change and decarbonization issues.•A new model for simulating Geo-5GDHC network was developed and tested.•Scenarios based on different buildings energy performances and climates were set.•A set of techno-economic KPIs was defined and calculated for the different scenarios.•Results were discussed underlining the role of Geo-5GDHC and further developments.
•An analytical solution to predict temperature around borehole heat exchangers (BHEs) is developed.•The solution allows to consider discontinuous and heterogeneous thermal loads.•Heterogeneous ...thermal load permits to optimize the demand on each BHE to reduce heat exhaustion.•Hourly thermal load on BHEs allows to model the extreme temperature variations.
Closed-loop borehole heat exchangers (BHEs) are used for heating/cooling buildings. For the sustainable design of these systems, analytical solutions provide fast and flexible tools to investigate the subsurface thermal response. In this study, from an existing analytical solution which predicts temperature field for discontinuous heat extraction/injection of multi-BHEs field, is improved to consider the case of heterogeneous heat loads (HHLs), i.e. heat loads tuned independently for each BHE to improve the long-term heat refurbishment in the subsurface. Also, we implemented the concept of BHE thermal resistance in order to determine the heat carrier fluid temperature. To provide accurate extreme temperatures, two aspects were analysed: the time step discretization; and the temporal resolution of thermal loads. The requirement for defining hourly thermal loads was demonstrated in order to properly predict extreme temperatures in the subsurface, as would be the case in an optimization problem of multi-BHEs with HHLs. As a study case, we showed the interest of HHLs to reduce localized thermal exhaustion of the geothermal system and to reduce extreme temperature variations and thermal drift in the most critical BHEs.
