Description
The objective is to develop an enhanced HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) system based on geothermal heat exchangers that overcome the traditional space limitation. It will perform the analysis and development of deeper geothermal boreholes technically able to overcome the 100 m depth wells used nowadays. A significant reduction of the whole number of geothermic wells required in a building will be possible with drillings at more than 500 m deep, which means a great reduction of the free area for drilling compared to the area needed today. The use of deep wells will also improve the energy efficiency of the HVAC systems, particularly the COP (“Coefficient of Performance”) of the heat exchanger pump, because at those depths the ground temperature is quite a lot higher than at a depth of 100 m. Furthermore, the project will develop a new typology of high performance grouting materials. New advanced additives such as carbon nanomaterials will be studied in order to obtain grouts with improved thermal, mechanical and hydraulic properties. The project result will be a renewable HVAC system, specially designed for residential and tertiary buildings.
Summary of project results
The main achievement of the completed project is the development of a HVAC system based on geothermial heat exchangers that overcome the space limitation in construction. The result of the project is a real renewable HVAC system, specially designed expressly for residential and tertiary buildings located in urban areas. The results are sustained by a demonstrative geothermial well which overcomes the 100m depth. The impact of the project is a significant reduction of the whole number of geothermic wells required in a building with drillings of more than 500 m deep, which means a great reduction of the free area for drilling compared to the area needed today. The use of deep wells also improves the energy efficiency of the HVAC systems, particularly the COP (“Coefficient of Performance”) of the heat exchanger pump. This is a sustainable alternative to condensation boilers because they don’t represent a definitive solution due to the fact that they use gas as fuel.
Summary of bilateral results
In this project the Norwegian entreprise Norwegian Graphite Technologies AS. was hired by SACYR for its research into materials for better grouts and mortars for geothermal wells. Norwegian Graphite Technologies AS. has supplied the Nano (modified Graphene oxide based admixture). At the moment is not expected any wider impact of the partnership.