Ground Heat Exchanger - Vertical

Vertical ground heat exchangers typically use boreholes containing U-tubes as shown in the figure below.

 

 

The EnergyPlus Ground Heat Exchanger (GHE) is a condenser component serving the condenser supply side alongside cooling towers and other condensing components.

 

General

Name

This alpha field contains an editable identifying name for the ground heat exchanger.

Ground Heat Exchanger Template

Template

You can use this control to load data to the dialog from a pre-defined Ground heat exchanger template as a starting point for your particular component.

Note: After loading a Ground heat exchanger template it is important to make sure to update the Design heat exchanger flow rates as the sum of connected heat pump rated flow rates.

Ground Heat Exchanger Type

Type

DesignBuilder provides 3 different ground heat exchanger types:

 

Note: The Type drop down list is not editable. To select a different type of heat exchanger, you must first select an appropriate template (above).

Ground Properties

Ground thermal conductivity

This numeric field contains the thermal conductivity of the ground (in W/m-K or Btu-in/h-ft2-F).

Ground thermal heat capacity

This numeric field contains the thermal heat capacity of the ground (in J/m3-K or Btu/ft3-F).

Ground temperature

This numeric field contains the far field temperature of the ground (in °C or °F).

Flow Rate

Design flow rate

This numeric field contains the design volume flow rate of the GHE (in m3/s or gal/min). The flow rate specified is the total flow rate for the entire borehole field. Flow will be assumed to be evenly distributed across all boreholes.

Borehole and Pipe Geometry

Number of boreholes

This numeric field contains the number of bore holes in the GHE installation.

Depth of top of borehole

This numeric field indicates the depth of the top of the borehole below the ground surface (in m or ft). The depth measured from the ground surface downward is positive.

Borehole length

This numeric field contains the active length of the borehole (in m or ft), referenced from the starting location (potentially below the ground surface), to the end of the borehole.

Borehole diameter

This numeric field contains the diameter of the borehole (in m or in).

Pipe outer diameter

This numeric field contains the outer diameter of the U-tube (pipe) (in m or in).

Pipe thickness

This numeric field contains the thickness of the pipe (in m or in).

U-Tube distance

This numeric field contains the distance between the two legs of the U-tube (in m or ft). Distance is measured from the U-tube pipe centre.

Grout and Pipe Properties

Grout thermal conductivity

This numeric field contains the thermal conductivity of the filler material (in W/m-K or Btu-in/h-ft2-F).

Grout thermal heat capacity

This numeric field contains the thermal heat capacity of the grout (in J/m3-K or Btu/ft3-F).

Pipe thermal conductivity

This numeric field contains the thermal conductivity of the pipe in (in W/mK or Btu-in/h-ft2-F).

Pipe thermal heat capacity

This numeric field contains the thermal heat capacity of the pipe (in J/m3-K or Btu/ft3-F).

Other

G-Function reference ratio

The G-Functions may be formulated slightly differently based on the program which generated them. The “raw” G-Functions are based on an borehole radius to active length ratio of 0.0005. If the physical ratio is different from this, a correction must be applied. EnergyPlus will apply the correction, based on the reference ratio entered in this field. There are therefore two possible input configurations:

 

 

The software GLHEPRO has been making this “pre-correction” to the data sets since version 3.1 of that software, so this input field should match the actual (physical) radius/length ratio.

G Function Data Pairs

The borehole response is defined by a non-dimensional ‘G-function’ and the second tab includes a large text box with a list of G-function data pairs. The list is specified as a series of data points giving values of non-dimensional time vs G-function value (LNTTS1, GFUNC1), (LNTTS2, GFUNC2), (LNTTS3, GFUNC3) …….. (LNTTSn, GFUNCn)..

G-Function Ln(T/Ts) value <x>

This numeric field contains the natural log of time/steady state time: ln(T/Ts).

G-Function 'G' value <x>

This numeric field contains the G-function value of the corresponding LNTTS.

 

Example data:

 

Sizing Vertical Ground Heat exchangers

You can learn more about practical aspects of Ground Heat Exchanger design and simulation for project work by watching our webinar: Design and Modelling of Ground Source Heat Pump Systems

Quick/Simple Sizing

DesignBuilder provides a quick, approximate way to size vertical ground loop heat exchangers assuming typical borehole layouts and ground properties. The procedure is to use DesignBuilder Heating design and Cooling design calculations to obtain peak heating and cooling loads in kW, then use the table below to look up the minimum number of boreholes for the model.

 

 

Then load the "U-Tube 76m xx-boreholes" vertical ground heat exchanger template with the corresponding number of boreholes from the template library. These templates include parameters pre-calculated based on a typical rectangular geometry and property settings (see left red-box in the figure below). Each includes a corresponding set of g-function data. For very different a bolehole layouts or when any of the ground or other parameter deviates significantly from these typical settings then you should use the Detailed design sizing method described below.

 

Detailed design sizing

The net heating or cooling capacity of the ground over each season depends on the accumulated heat rejection/extraction, and therefore on the building loads throughout the whole year (not only the peak loads mentioned above), which might be available through simulation perhaps based on a simple HVAC setting in DesignBuilder.

 

Ground loop heat exchanger tools such as GLHEPRO and GLD (which are not supplied by DesignBuilder or EnergyPlus) are able to carry out a more detailed and accurate sizing calculation taking into account specific borehole layouts and ground properties. These tools can export calculated G-function data in the form of IDF files which can be loaded to the DesignBuilder Ground Heat Exchanger dialog as described below.

Import Vertical Ground Heat Exchanger Data from IDF

Data from a previously configured and sized vertical ground loop heat exchanger can be loaded by clicking on the Import button at the bottom of the dialog or the Import vertical ground heat exchanger data link from info panel (see figure below).

 

 

The corresponding g-function data will be loaded along with the rest of the data required on the dialog and can be viewed on the G Function Data tab.