Study of ground heat exchangers in the form of parallel horizontal pipes embedded in the ground

Abstract

In order to predict long-Term changes in the temperature of the ground in which a horizontal ground heat exchanger has been installed, it is beneficial to implement simplified mathematical models of heat transfer. The possibility of using a one-dimensional equation of heat conduction while modelling heat transfer in a ground heat exchanger with horizontal pipes has been demonstrated in the work. A theoretical analysis based on the linear heat source model as well as experimental research works have been carried out. It has been concluded that the temperature profiles of the ground in which parallel pipes of the heat exchanger are placed do not significantly differ from the profiles for the heat exchanger in the form of a plate; in particular, this refers to large distances from the level in which the pipes are positioned, small distances between pipes axes and the long duration of the process. Discrepancies between the calculated temperature increases for pipe and plate exchangers varied significantly in the individual time intervals, and were approx. 2030%. The conducted experiments have demonstrated that the temperature field around parallel pipes of the heat exchanger may be described by the linear heat source model. The compatibility of temperature maps that were determined theoretically and experimentally was satisfactory with a good degree of accuracy.