• Proceedings of the SAREK Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.39-44
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• 2008

The heat exchange between the Borehole Heat Exchanger(BHE) and the surrounding ground depends directly on ground thermal conductivity k at the certain site. The k is thus a key parameter in designing BHE and coupled geothermal heat pump systems. Currently, although a thermal hydraulic response test(TRT) is mostly used in practice, the thermal hydraulic TRT needs additional power and is generally time-consuming. A new, simple wireless P/T probe for a hi-speed k determination was introduced in this paper. This technique using a wireless P/T probe is less time-consuming and requires no external source of energy for measurement and predicts local thermal properties by measuring soil temperatures along the depth. Measured temperature data along the depth was analyzed. In order to verify the new technique for the determination of ground thermal conductivity, ground thermal conductivity k that calculated from the measured temperature data using a wireless P/T probe was compared with one obtained from conventional hydraulic TRT. When comparing the average k of two methods, the relative error was approximately 10%. As a result, the electronic TRT can replace the conventional hydraulic TRT method after carrying out the additional research on a lot of sites.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.71-78
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• 2010

Investigation of the effective soil thermal conductivity(k) is the first step in designing the ground loop heat exchanger(borehole) of a geothermal heat pump system. The line source method is required by New and Renewable Energy Center of Korea Energy Management Corporation in analyzing data obtained from thermal response tests. Another important factor in designing the ground loop heat exchanger is the borehole thermal resistance($R_b$). There are two methods to evaluate $R_b$ : one is to use a line source method, and the other is to use a shape factor of the borehole. In this study, we demonstrated that the line source method produces better results than the shape factor method in evaluating $R_b$. This is because the borehole thermal resistance evaluated with the line source method characteristically reduces the temperature differences between an actual and a theoretical thermal behaviors of the borehole. Evaluation of $R_b$ requires soil volumetric heat capacity. However, the effect of the soil volumetric heat capacity on the borehole thermal resistance is very small. Therefore, it is possible to use a generally accepted average value of soil volumetric heat capacity($=2MJ/m^3{\cdot}K$) in the analysis. In this work, it is also shown that an acceptable range of the initial ignoring time should be in the range of 8~16hrs. Thus, a mean value of 12 hrs is recommended.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.80-86
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• 2011

Investigation of the effective soil thermal conductivity(k) is the first step in designing the ground loop heat exchanger(borehole) of a geothermal heat pump system. Another important factor is the borehole thermal resistance($R_b$). Thermal response tests offer a good method to determine the ground thermal properties for the total heat transport in the ground. This is done by supplying a constant heat power into a borehole heat exchanger. There are two methods to supply a constant heat power. One is to employ the electricity provided by Korea Electric Power Corporation(KEPCO). The other is to use electricity generated by a generator. In this study, the power supply regulation was found to reduce when the electricity generated by the generator was used. This is because the generator evaluated with the power supply characteristically reduces the power supply regulation between an overload and a complex using. But it sometimes occurs a power supply regulation in In-situ thermal response test. In this case getting of k,$R_b$ requires delay times and restored normal state. However, the effect of the delay times and restored normal state on the soil thermal conductivity and borehole thermal resistance is very small. Therefore it is possible to use a generally accepted delay times and restored normal state in the analysis. In this work, it is also shown that an acceptable range of ${\Delta}k$, ${\Delta}R_b$ for normal state and regulation state might be approximately 0.01-0.16W/m k, and -0.004-0.007m K/W, respectively. Thus, restored normal state of power supply regulation is valuable to recommend.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.579-582
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• 2009

The thermal conductivity and viscosity(or workability) of graphite-added bentonite grouts and cementitious grouts have been evaluated and compared to determine the suitability of these materials for backfilling vertical boreholes of ground heat exchangers. Seven bentonite grouts from different product sources and a portland cement grout with various mixture ratios were considered in this paper. As a new additive for grout, we choose graphite which has high thermal conductivity. The bentonite grouts indicate that the thermal conductivity and viscosity increase with the content of bentonite or with an addition of Graphite compared with that of silica sand. In case of cementitious grout also increase the thermal conductivity and decrease the workability dramatically though an addition of Graphite. Therefore, we cautiously select the amount of graphite and mixture ratio of bentonite and cement considering not only thermal conductivity but also viscosity for the optimum condition of backfilling material.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2008.03a
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• pp.533-544
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• 2008

To obtain the physical properties of grout materials, that is the thermal conductivity and viscosity, which are used for backfilling ground heat exchangers, nine bentonite grouts and cement grouts being adapted in the United State have been considered in this study. The bentonite grouts show that the thermal conductivity and viscosity increase with the content of bentonite or filler (silica sand). The saturated cement grouts appear to possess much higher thermal conductivity than the saturated bentonite grouts, and the reduction of thermal conductivity in the cement grouts after drying specimens is less than the case of the bentonite grouts. To investigate the performance of cement grouts, fifteen samples were prepared by varying the water/cement ratio and the amount of sand and bentonite added into the cement mortar. Maintaining the moisture content of grouts is a crucial factor in enhancing the efficiency of ground heat exchangers.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2010.03a
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• pp.615-624
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• 2010

In this paper, the applicability of cement grout has been studied as an alternative to bentontite grout to backfill ground heat exchangers. To provide an optimal mixture design, the groutabilty and thermal conductivity of cement grouts with various mixture ratios were experimentally evaluated and compared. The unconfined compression strength of cement grout specimen was measured, which are exposed to cyclic temperature variation ranging from $50^{\circ}C$ to $-5^{\circ}C$. In addition, the integrity of the interface between circulating HDPE pipes and cement grout by performing equivalent hydraulic conductivity tests, in which a pipe locates at the center of the specimen.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2010.03a
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• pp.229-239
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• 2010

Performing a series of in-situ thermal response tests, the effective thermal conductivity of six vertical closed-loop ground heat exchangers was experimentally evaluated and compared each other, which were constructed in a test bed in Wonju. To compare thermal efficiency of the ground heat exchangers in field, the six boreholes were constructed with different construction conditions: grouting materials (cement vs. bentonite), different additives (silica sand vs. graphite) and the shape of pipe-sections (general U-loop type vs. 3 pipe-type). From the test results, it can be concluded that cement grouting has a higher effective thermal conductivity than that of bentonite grouting, and the efficiency of graphite better performs over silica sand as a thermally-enhancing addictive. In addition, a new 3 pipe-type heat exchanger provides less thermal interference between the inlet and outlet pipe than the conventional U-loop type heat exchanger, which results in superior thermal performance.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2009.03a
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• pp.179-187
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• 2009

Bentonite-based grouting has been popularly used to seal a borehole installed for a closed-loop vertical ground heat exchanger in a geothermal heat pump system (GHP) because of its high swelling potential and low hydraulic conductivity. The bentonite-based grout, however, has relatively lower thermal conductivity than that of ground formation. Accordingly, it is common to add some additives such as silica sand to the bentonite-based grout for enhancing thermal performance. In this study, graphite is adapted to substitute silica sand as an addictive because graphite has very high thermal conductivity. The effect of graphite on the thermal conductivity of bentonite-based grouts has been quantitatively evaluated for seven bentonite grouts from different product sources. In addition, comparisons of viscosity between applications of graphite and silica sand as additives has been carried out. In conclusion, using graphite has thermal conductivity about three times higher than that of silica sand.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.11a
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• pp.119-119
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• 2010

무한 지속 가능한 지열 에너지를 활용한 공조시스템인 지열원 냉난방 시스템은 기존의 공조 시스템보다 열원이 안정적이기 때문에 높은 효율과 우수한 성능을 가지므로, 기후변화협약 대응의 주요수단으로서 기술개발과 보급이 증대되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 대수층 축열 지열원 열펌프 시스템에 대한 실증 연구를 통하여 대수층 축열 지열원 열펌프 시스템의 하절기 냉방 성능을 분석하였다. 대수층 축열 냉난방 시스템은 주입정과 양수정의 2개의 우물공이 설치되어 있으며, 겨울 난방 운전 중에 한 개의 우물공으로부터 지하수를 열펌프로 유입한 후 낮은 온도의 지하수를 타 우물공에 축열하고, 하절기에 겨울에 저온으로 축열된 우물공으로부터 지하수를 열펌프로 유입하여 온도가 증가된 지하수를 타 우물공에 주입한다. 즉, 계절별로 열펌프에서 생성된 냉수와 온수의 대수층 축열을 위하여 계절별로 주입정과 양수정이 바뀌게 된다. 본 연구의 대수층 축열 지열원 열펌프 시스템의 2009년 8월의 주요일자별 시스템 운전 중의 평균 냉방 열펌프 유닛 COP와 냉방 시스템 COP는 각각 4.7과 3.4이상의 우수한 성능을 나타냈다. 또한, 모든 일자에 대하여 외기온도가 $31.6^{\circ}C$서 $22^{\circ}C$까지 변화가 크게 나타났지만 열펌프 유닛 COP와 시스템 COP의 변화는 미소하였다. 이는 양수정으로부터의 지중 순환수가 운전기간 중에 $17.5^{\circ}C$로 일정하게 유지되었기 때문이다. 양수정과 주입정 사이에 5개의 관측공을 설치하였으며, 양수정 측에 인접한 관측공의 온도는 거의 변화가 없었으며, 단기간이지만 널리 사용되고 있는 수직밀폐형 시스템과 달리 지속적인 냉방운전 중의 양수 온도의 증가는 발생하지 않아 안정적인 성능을 나타냈다. 주입정에 인접한 모니터링 홀의 온도는 심도가 깊은 곳의 온도가 낮은 곳보다 높게 나타났다. 이는 냉방 운전 시 열펌프 유닛의 실외열교환기에서 지중 순환수가 냉매로부터 열을 취득하여 온도가 상승하면서 주입정측에 온열이 축열이 진행되었기 때문으로 분석되며, 하절기의 냉방 운전 시간이 증가할 경우 축열 효과는 더욱 증가할 것으로 예상된다. 양수정과 주입정 중간의 모니터링 홀의 온도는 2009년 8월 가동 중에 온도변화는 없었는데, 이는 양수정과 주입정 사이의 열간섭이 발생하지 않았기 때문으로 분석된다. 일자별로 운전 중의 열펌프 유닛 COP는 차이가 없었지만, 운전 및 정지 시간을 모두 포함한 시스템 소비전력과 냉방용량을 모두 합산하여 산정한 일일 평균 냉방 열펌프 유닛 COP와 냉방 시스템 COP는 일자별로 다소 차이가 발생하였는데, 이는 각 일자별로 열펌프 유닛 가동율의 차이로 인하여 열펌프 유닛 가동 전에 먼저 작동되는 지중순환펌프의 운전 소비전력의 차이와 열펌프의 단속운전 시의 열손실과 추거 소비전력의 차이 때문이다.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.5-15
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• 2012

In this study, a series of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) numerical analyses were performed in order to evaluate the thermal performance of six full-scale closed-loop vertical ground heat exchangers constructed in a test bed located in Wonju. The circulation HDPE pipe, borehole and surrounding ground formation were modeled using FLUENT, a finite-volume method (FVM) program, for analyzing the heat transfer process of the system. Two user-defined functions (UDFs) accounting for the difference in the temperatures of the circulating inflow and outflow fluid and the variation of the surrounding ground temperature with depth were adopted in the FLUENT model. The relevant thermal properties of materials measured in laboratory were used in the numerical analyses to compare the thermal efficiency of various types of the heat exchangers installed in the test bed. The simulation results provide a verification for the in-situ thermal response test (TRT) data. The CFD numerical back-analysis with the ground thermal conductivity of 4 W/mK yielded better agreement with the in-situ thermal response tests than with the ground thermal conductivity of 3 W/mK.