Heating the cottage or villa - not a simple matter, requiring careful consideration, competent and rational approach. Given the intense energy prices, even economical gas devices often are not the best choice. In terms of the lack of operating costs, the most advantageous to look geothermal heating homes with their own hands. This scheme involves the use of underground heat generated naturally. This option, for sure have the liking and people indifferent to the preservation of the environment, any harm to the environment is simply absent.
For the first time these methods were tested in 70-ies of the last century in the United States at the outbreak of the first economic crises. Of course, these systems have been difficult to call perfect, it is reflected in the efficiency and cost of the arrangement. In today's world, fortunately, things are quite different.
A common misconception
Some people believe that geothermal heating private houses will be able to create a very warm enough in the regions where the circle beat hot springs and sources. This is absolutely not true. An illustrative example of this - Greenland, an island with a harsh climate, most of the territory of which is hidden by snow. Nevertheless, the vast majority of the local houses, farms and farmland is heated underground heat.
working principle
Compare the performance of a heating system can be a refrigerator, only in reverse. The inner layers of the earth retain a sufficiently high temperature continuously heated from the core, without depending on the external conditions. It remains only to understand how to "extract" the heat.
To this end, the top mounted heat pump sees shaft in which the heat exchanger is immersed. Groundwater pass through pumps are heated by contact with the pipes and radiators heated air indoors. The system consists of two circuits:
- Inner loop - classic building heating system consisting of a radiator, pipes, and other battery;
- The outer contour - directly heat exchanger situated deep in the ground.
It is worth noting that as the coolant is allowed to use, and ordinary water and antifreeze.
generation options
Warm your home will be possible for one of the following schemes:
- The pump and heat exchanger of vertical type. Well depth in this case ranges from 50 to 200 meters, so that boring is associated with a considerable financial investment. Thermal energy is taken from the deep groundwater, which is very high temperature. The heat pump provides fluid motion, the heat exchanger takes the energy within the reverse water discharge. Do not be afraid of the initial investment, calculations demonstrate that the result justifies the means, the service time comes to age.
- Many common with the described circuit has technique based on installation of the shaft in a depth of about a hundred meters reinforced tank with antifreeze heated soil. For continuous movement of antifreeze also activated heat pump.
- The horizontal heat exchanger - less costly and structurally more simple circuit. The main requirement is that the pipes were below, which in cold weather freezes the ground. heating efficiency in this situation is less, and because it has to compensate for the total area of the collector, which should be approximately 2 times greater than the area of the heated space. Of course, this value is approximately the exact factor depends on many factors.
- Finally, the last scheme is suitable in the case between the heated building and the closest body of water no more than a hundred meters. The advantage of this technology - small investments, no significant volume of excavation. The heat exchange circuit is located so that at a depth of freezing is not observed, under ice should be at least water meter. Ideally, in the pond should be current, which can destroy the probes are located at the bottom. It is these probes and are heat sinks.
For forming the outer contour of the pipe are ideal based on polyethylene. The calculations should be based on the fact that the meter manifold must fall between 40 and 50 W of thermal energy. It turns out that in a situation where the pump capacity is 10 kW, the drilling depth is 200 meters.
It is worth remembering that in some situations more efficiently drill at a deep well, and a few smaller ones. In order in this situation it was not spoiled appearance portion used cluster method - from a start point diverges somewhat deeper into the pillars.
solution Benefits
So, geothermal process is characterized by the following set of positive features:
- It uses inexhaustible free thermal energy.
- No risk of fire, detonation, short circuit and other hazards.
- There is no need to build a separate building for the organization of the boiler, the unit itself takes up little space, there is no need for additional space for fuel storage.
- The circuit is ideal from the point of view of environmental safety. In use, products of combustion are absent and emissions provoking air pollution, soil and water.
- The system does not require regular maintenance and inspection, the correctness of the parameters supported by automation. Cost is also provided and this feature.
- Variability. The heating circuit is located directly in the building by its design is not different from conventional water heating systems. Hosts can implement the idea and modern underfloor heating, and a traditional radiator circuit.
To summarize
The main problem of this technology is the high price, due to the considerable amount of excavation. However, in view of the further advantages of this flaw it seems inconsequential. Practice shows that the total return on investment is achieved in just a few seasons!
