Geosciences
Designing Vertical Geothermal Probe Fields
An engineering programme in sizing fields of vertical ground heat exchangers for ground-source heat pumps: heat transfer in the borehole and the ground, feasibility study, thermal response testing and its interpretation, pre-sizing with the ASHRAE method, and dynamic thermal simulation.
Overview
About the programme
Duration
2 days
Training hours
14 hours
Delivery
Training hall · Virtual · At your premises
Language
Arabic or English
Objectives
Training outcomes
- Prepare a technical feasibility study for a borehole field.
- Plan a thermal response test (TRT) and interpret it to estimate ground thermal conductivity and borehole thermal resistance.
- Apply the ASHRAE method to pre-size borehole depth, number and spacing.
- Understand the role of multi-year dynamic thermal simulation and the effect of cooling-dominated loads on ground temperature.
Content
What the programme covers
Day 1: heat transfer and thermal response testing
- Forms of geothermal use with heat pumps, and the components of a vertical exchanger: U-tube, grout and heat-transfer fluid.
- Heat transfer in and around the borehole: thermal conductivity and heat capacity, borehole thermal resistance, and the effect of groundwater flow.
- Thermal properties of the subsurface and their sources.
- The thermal response test: principle, execution, interpretation with the line-source model, and sources of error.
Day 2: sizing and simulation
- Monthly and peak building thermal loads, and imbalance between heating and cooling.
- Pre-sizing with the ASHRAE method, with exercises on small fields.
- Dynamic thermal simulation over the years of operation with tools such as TRNSYS, and thermal interference between boreholes.
- Specifications and quality control in drilling, grouting and pressure testing, a case study, followed by the assessment.
Who it is for
Target audience
HVAC, energy and thermal design engineers in consultancies, project engineers and contractors working on ground-source systems, and the geologists and hydrogeologists who support them.
Method
Delivery method
Technical presentations and sizing exercises on spreadsheets, with a presentation of dynamic simulation results. Participants may bring the loads of a current project to use in the exercises. Delivered in Arabic or English.
Questions
FAQ
Should we attend Fundamentals of Geothermal Energy first?
It is advisable for non-specialists, but not required for thermal design engineers who already know heat pumps.
Does the programme train on a specific simulation tool?
The programme presents the method and results of dynamic simulation; the hands-on work focuses on ASHRAE sizing and interpreting the thermal response test.
A programme tailored to your organisation
The duration and topics of the programme are adjusted to the organisation's needs, and it is delivered at its site, in a training hall arranged by the Center, or virtually.