EFFECT OF SOIL TYPE ON VERTICAL CLOSED-LOOP GEOTHERMAL HEAT EXCHANGERS SIZING

Abstract

The closed ground source heat pump systems are one types of ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems and are classified as low enthalpy geothermal systems since they make use of low temperature differences, it consists of heat exchanger loops that utilize the heat conduction mechanism of the ground to reject or extract heat. The design of geothermal heat exchangers strongly depends on the properties of the soil as they affect soil resistance, which is an indication of the amount of energy that can be transferred to/from the ground. Because of the unavailability of experimental data in the selected region, particularly those concerning the nature of the soil, this study was conducted to examine the influence of the kind of soil (Three different soils) on the design of a vertical closed loop for a residential unit under the meteorological conditions of Tamenrasset, city located in the south of Algeria, using analytical design procedures (ASHRAE) which highlight the influence of heat exchanger properties and ground parameters.