Prototype for a shallow geothermal installation for the air conditioning of spaces at a Colombian University

Abstract

From a literature review, various concepts and methodologies useful for the development of the preliminary stages of planning and design of a ground source heat pump were documented. A prototype of a cooling system for a room in the Universidad EIA was proposed. The heat pump selected to supply the demand has a power of 1-9 kW, and the proposed heat exchanger system corresponds to a closed-loop horizontal slinky-type with an approximate pipe length of 1,301 m, which was calculated through Excel spreadsheets and configured in three or six trenches with a total area required for the installation of 911 and 952 m2, respectively. These results provide the initial conditions for the implementation of an air conditioning project at the site, using shallow geothermal energy. Other alternatives for the heat exchanger systems and considerations for future projects are also presented.

Keywords

• ground source heat pump; design; regulation; horizontal heat exchanger