materials / 07.06.2020

Calculation of geothermal heating at home. How to use the free heat of the earth and water? Geothermal heating at home: how it works. Sources of geothermal heating

Currently, many owners of private and country houses They believe that geothermal heating at home is something from the realm of overseas fantasy, and such a miracle can only be installed where there is some volcanic activity or hot springs. And since such phenomena are not typical for Russia, little is known about geothermal heating at home, and this knowledge is only superficial.
However, this opinion is erroneous, since in fact the pump generates heat quite successfully, even if the temperature is not high. Therefore, this still alternative source of heating can be used in temperate climates. Can you install geothermal heating yourself? The answer to this question is yes, but before that it is worth studying additional material about the features of the system, its advantages, as well as about the "pitfalls", which in this case relate only to financial resources.

Geothermal home heating

Types by type of construction

Geothermal heating in a cottage works on a principle somewhat similar to a refrigerator. The main element here is the heat pump, which is included in two circuits at the same time. The internal circuit is a traditional heating system consisting of piping and radiators. And the external one is a large heat exchanger, which is placed either under the water column or underground.

Usually, a liquid circulates inside the heat exchanger, which contains antifreeze. This kind of coolant takes on temperature regime medium, which subsequently, already heated, goes to the heat pump. The previously accumulated heat goes into the internal circuit, after which the water is heated in pipes and radiators.

Thus, turnkey geothermal heating of a house includes one essential element- Heat pump. This is a compact device that takes up little space.

Note that the system is quite expensive and time consuming to install. To buy special equipment and carry out large-scale earthworks, a lot of financial resources will be required.

Needless to say, the installation of such a system will also be expensive. Therefore, many owners of private and country houses decide to make the heating of a private house with the heat of the earth on their own.

First of all, it must be taken into account that there are three types of heat exchangers - horizontal, vertical and water-placed.

Horizontal heat exchanger. This type is used quite often. When using it, pipes are placed in specially made trenches to a depth that slightly exceeds the level of freezing of the soil cover in the area. However this system has one drawback - this is that a large area is needed in order to locate the collector, and not everyone can afford such a design. And if trees grow on your territory, then the equipment should be placed from them at a distance of about 1.5 meters.

Vertical heat exchanger. Such a device is more compact, but at the same time - and more expensive. In order to equip geothermal heating at home with your own hands with such a device, you do not need a large area, but you will need drilling equipment. Indeed, in this case, the depth of the well must necessarily be from 50 to 200 meters. Note that this is the most expensive way, but it can last as long as 100 years! If you want to make geo-heating for a house located outside the city, then the system is suitable. And the landscape remains intact.

Water-based heat exchanger. This type is the most economical, as it uses the heat of water. It is recommended to install the system at a distance of no more than 100 meters from the reservoir. The contour of the pipeline is laid on the bottom in the form of a spiral, and the depth should be no more than 3 meters. As for the reservoir, it is recommended that its area be at least 200 square meters. With such a system, labor-intensive work and permission are not required.

Thus, it can be noted that to make geothermal heating country house on your own is quite difficult. However, it is possible to carry out the plan, having at least one assistant. The best option is the third way, but there are several necessary points, without which it will not work, and in particular, a reservoir.

Note that, despite the fact that the arrangement of a system that receives heat from the earth for heating a house is quite expensive, nevertheless, do not save on installation. After all, the efficiency of heating will depend on the quality of installation.

Why is geothermal heating so good?

The advantages of geothermal heating include several points that lead to the spread of such a system:

The energy of the earth for heating the house cannot be exhausted.
There is no risk of fire here.
Buying fuel and storing it is not required.
The system is completely environmentally friendly and safe.
Works autonomously.
You don't have to spend money on heating maintenance.
Productivity is high.

Heating the house with the energy of the earth is perfectly combined with a warm floor. If you use this combination of two heating systems, then you will have an evenly distributed temperature in all rooms, there will be no overheating zones. If you study the reviews, it can be noted that the cost of installing the system pays off, on average, after three years.

Nuances during installation

Despite the fact that thermal home heating in Russia is still only an additional or alternative source of thermal energy, such a system is gaining popularity. Although the method of heating a house is rather unusual for us, however, the elements of the system will remind you very much water heating. After all, the room will also be heated by radiators, where heat will go through the pipeline.

Geothermal heating of a private house without fail assumes that the main part of the system will be placed underground when you use vertical or horizontal heat exchangers. And in the premises, the device itself is placed, which generates thermal energy.

Summing up

Heating a house from the ground can be installed independently, almost every owner of a private or country house who is able to purchase equipment is capable of this. Heating a country house from the ground is becoming more common at the present time. And today you can even meet specially created universities that study such a system for its subsequent modernization.

Geothermal home heating is a kind of innovative way to heat your home, which, however, has been around for a relatively long time.

Today, the underground heating of a private house is being improved, the simplest, but at the same time, a functional method of installation is being developed. In this case, it is assumed that all parameters can be independently calculated, and so on. Earthen heating of a country house will very soon become the main way to heat your home, and you can find a video on installing such a system below.

Most of us understand that the use of coal, gas and wood as fuel does not do without a trace for the environment. However, the introduction of alternative energy sources is hampered by their high cost and efficiency, which are still inferior to traditional ones. But lately, manufacturers have been paying more and more attention to such products, so we hope that soon they will be easier to install and not so expensive.

Today we will consider geothermal heating, which can be installed for a private house with your own hands. You will learn about the principle of its operation, types, features and self-assembly.

It is worth saying that in European countries and the USA, heating from the ground is gradually becoming the main source of heating at home, but so far such systems are only an alternative to more traditional ones.

Appearance and distribution

The energy of the earth for heating began to spread in the United States towards the end of the 80s of the last century in cities that were going through a difficult crisis. Wealthy people immediately became interested in the system, to whom it gave them the opportunity to save on heating their homes. Then it began to become cheaper, and the poorer class of the population also began to use it.

After some time, the heat of the earth for heating has become the prerogative of most owners of private houses. In Europe, every year the number of households using earth heating at home is only increasing.

This trend in the spread of geothermal heating is quite understandable. Using the heat of the earth for heating can significantly save the family budget, it is safe and economical.

Operation of geothermal heating

Its principle of operation can be compared with a conventional refrigerator, but vice versa. The earth retains heat constantly, so it can heat objects located on its surface.

The meaning of the method is that from the inside the planet is heated by hot magma, and from above the soil does not allow it to freeze. Received thermal energy used by a geothermal heating system based on a special heat pump.

The following process takes place:

Surface mounted heat pump.
A hole is drilled in the ground into which a heat exchanger is lowered..
The ground water passing through the pump is heated and then used for domestic and industrial purposes..

The main advantage of the system is the ratio of electrical energy and received power - 1 to 4-6 kW. For example, when using a conventional air conditioner, it turns out 1 to 1. Therefore, the installation will be able to pay for itself in a short time.

Peculiarities

Self-heating a house from the ground has certain difficulties, which we will discuss below:

They begin with the manufacture of a mine shaft.
Its calculation is carried out separately for each specific case, taking into account:

the climate in the area;
soil type;
characterization of the structure of the earth's crust in a given region;
heating area.

Usually the depth varies between 25-100 m.

On the next step pipes are lowered into the shaft, which must absorb heat from the bowels and supply it to a pump that raises the temperature of the coolant in the heating system.

Tip: work is best done with an assistant, as pipes are often quite large in mass.

In summer, heating with earth energy can be run as an air conditioner. Why is the reverse mechanism activated? During operation, the heat exchanger will begin to take cooling energy.

Kinds

For an environmentally friendly and efficient operation of the system, there are three main options:

ground water	In this case, thermal energy is used to heat the building. ground water located at great depths. She has a fairly high temperature, so she raises it and heats it. After that, the water through the heat exchanger gives the main part of the available energy.
Antifreeze	The method requires additional costs. A tank with antifreeze is lowered to a depth of 75 m and below, the price of which is quite high. When it heats up, it is lifted by a heat pump to the heat exchanger. After the heat is released, the antifreeze enters the container again.
Water	This method does not require the equipment of a soil mine. Such heating of the house from the ground is suitable if there is access to a reservoir. Horizontal probes are placed from the heat exchanger along the bottom of the reservoir, which help to convert the heat of the water.

Benefits of geothermal heating

Now let's find out what advantages such systems have, and whether they can satisfy our requests:

Thermal energy is released several times more than the electricity consumption for the operation of the pump.
There are no harmful emissions, so heating a country house from the ground is an environmentally friendly way.
The system only needs electricity to function. No use required chemicals and fuel.
There is no risk of explosion or fire during operation.
Correct installation heating system guarantees operation without technical support for about 30 years.

Self-installation of geothermal heating

It must be said right away that heating a house with the energy of the earth will require a large one-time investment. The lion's share of which will go to the development of the mine shaft.

Tip: The most expensive part of a heat pump is the compressor. If you don't want problems, don't buy it from the Chinese factory.
It is better to use Danfoss or Copeland (preferably not from China).

We also recommend using a warm floor system instead of heating radiators. So you can reduce the payback of equipment at times. The annual increase in tariffs for traditional energy carriers should also be taken into account, at the same time it will help to avoid price jumps.

Inside the house, nothing will remind you that you are using earthen heating. The main part of the scheme - the well and the heat exchanger - will be hidden underground. It is only necessary to allocate a small place for the device, for example, in the basement that generates heat.

The device allows you to adjust the temperature and supply heat. The installation instructions for the heating system in the house do not differ from the traditional method, so there are no features in it.

Conclusion

The use of heat pumps makes it possible to get rid of traditional types of fuel that are becoming more expensive every year, although the initial costs will be quite large. It is quite possible to carry out the installation of geothermal heating on your own, only when installing pipes in a mine shaft, it is advisable to turn off the assistant.

The payback of the project depends on the insulation of housing, as well as the method of heating - radiator or underfloor heating. The video in the article will provide an opportunity to find additional information on the above topic.

The search for alternative energy sources led to the invention of devices that are able to accumulate heat, which is in large quantities in the human environment. The sun's rays, geyser springs, soil - all this, to one degree or another, can satisfy the need for heating the coolant for the heating system and hot water supply. Although geothermal heating due to the heat of the earth is a relatively new direction, the prospects for such a solution are obvious. Thanks to the installation of special equipment, it becomes possible to obtain a cheap, almost endless type of thermal energy.

How to get heat into the house from the earth

Earth even in winter period time does not freeze completely. This feature is used by installation teams laying pipelines below the freezing point. Surprisingly, the temperature of these layers rarely drops below +5 +7°C degrees. Is it possible to use the ability of the earth to accumulate heat, extract it and use it to heat the coolant? Of course! But to make alternative heating of a private house with the help of the heat of the earth possible? the following issues need to be addressed:

Receiving heat - you need to accumulate thermal energy and send it to the storage tank.
Heat carrier heating. The heated antifreeze must transfer the thermal energy of the liquid that circulates in the heating and hot water system.
The cooled antifreeze must be taken back to the heat exchanger for further heating.

To solve these issues, a geothermal pump was developed using the heat of the earth. A geothermal heat pump makes it possible to extract an amount of heat that is more than enough to produce a large amount of heat and, depending on the design and location of the house, be used as the main or additional heating equipment.

How geothermal home heating works, how it works

Underground deep heating from the ground is no longer a fantasy. Such installations can be safely bought in Russia. Moreover, geothermal installations are able to operate both in the conditions of the North and in southern latitudes. But what principle do they use in their work? Even in the last century, the fact was noted that certain types of liquids are able to cool the surface when evaporating. This is exactly what happens when alcohol is rubbed on the skin before an injection, or when an asphalt area heated under the sun is poured over. This principle was taken as the basis for the development of refrigeration equipment.

Then the idea arose why not start the cooling process in the opposite direction and get instead of cold hot air. Most modern air conditioners are able to not only cool the air in the room, but also work to heat it. But the disadvantage of such devices is that they are temperature limited. environment. So, after the mark reaches -5 degrees, they stop working. Geothermal pumps for heating private houses from the ground are completely devoid of such a drawback, although they use a principle that is in many ways reminiscent of the operation of an air conditioner to heat a room.

How geothermal heating works

As already noted, a geothermal heating system from the bowels of the earth, in many ways, resembles the operation of an air conditioner in heating mode. What is happening at this moment?

In the lower layers of the soil, at the bottom of a river or lake, water collectors are installed through which antifreeze circulates. Collectors absorb heat and release cold.
Heated antifreeze is pumped up.
Heat exchange takes place in the buffer tank. Heated antifreeze gives off thermal energy to the coolant or heats the water.
The cooled antifreeze flows back to the collectors.

There are installations that are able to independently heat large rooms, others are used exclusively as auxiliary equipment able to provide from 50-75% of the room's need for heat.

Geothermal equipment to use the heat of the earth

The principle of operation of the deep heating system of the house, due to the energy of the earth, is based on the use of special equipment. It performs the following functions: it accumulates the heat of the environment, transfers it to the heat carrier of the heating system. For this, the following nodes are used:

Evaporator - located deep underground. The function of the evaporator is to absorb the thermal energy in the surrounding soil.
Condenser - brings antifreeze to the required temperature.
Heat pump - antifreeze circulates in the system. Controls the operation of the entire installation.
Buffer tank - collects heated antifreeze in one place to transfer energy to the coolant. It consists of an internal tank, it contains water from the heating system and an internal coil through which heated antifreeze moves.

Although natural low-temperature geothermal heating of the house with the heat of the earth provides enough thermal energy, the most practical heating option for this solution is to connect it to the "warm floor" system.

Installation and installation of geothermal heating

The main difficulty regarding the installation of geothermal equipment is associated with the installation of a heat exchanger circuit in soil-ground. Although the Internet can be found a large number of tips on how to do these works on your own, practice shows that most of the tips cannot be applied without special specialized education, therefore, all work must be performed by professional installers who are representatives of the manufacturer. After contacting specialists, geothermal heating systems for private houses due to the heat of the earth are installed in the following several stages:

Departure of the engineer on the house. During the first visit, soil samples are taken, the features of the area are determined, and a decision is made on the most effective installation of a geothermal system. The source of the intended heat can also affect the efficiency of the installation. More productive is the installation of heat exchangers at the bottom of the reservoir or at the source of thermal sources.
Conclusion of the contract and acquisition necessary equipment. Rates can vary significantly depending on the complexity of the event. installation work and other nuances. But on average, if a high-quality German manufacturer is selected, the installation cost will approximately equal its price. Turnkey purchase of a Vaillant installation for a 350 sq. m. will cost approximately $ 21 thousand
Installation work. Heating a private house with underground geothermal heat sources, or rather, its efficiency largely depends on proper conduct work during the installation phase. After the water heat exchangers are installed in the ground, they are connected to the geothermal installation and the heating system of the house.
Commissioning works. The engineer starts the system and makes fine adjustments to the device. After setting up, the Act of delivery of work is signed.

According to the current legislation, the company installing the equipment may provide additional warranty obligations subject to payment for these services. Such guarantees will cost an additional $1,000.

Is geothermal heating effective in the North

To create the minimum conditions necessary for the operation of a geothermal installation, it is sufficient to comply with the following conditions:

The temperature of the soil layer in which the heat exchangers are located should not fall below +5, +7°C degrees.
Throughout the system through which antifreeze flows, conditions have been created to avoid freezing.
Geothermal heating of a country house was completed after all necessary calculations and design documentation.

Given all the requirements described, it becomes clear that such installations can be effective, subject to the above conditions. Nevertheless, for the northern regions it is more expedient to use such installations for heating small areas up to 150-200 square meters. m.

Geyser heating of a private house

The performance of a geothermal pump largely depends on the temperature of the soil or water in which the heat exchanger is located. In this regard, the inhabitants of Kamchatka are in a better position. On the Kamchatka peninsula there is a huge number of thermal springs - geysers that do not cool down even in winter time of the year. Before installation of equipment, geological exploration is mandatory. If a warm spring located on the territory of the house, it makes sense to place heat exchangers at the bottom of this reservoir. Geothermal energy in this case will pay off much faster.

How to heat your house with a geothermal pump

The technology of heating a house with underground heat is most in demand in the West. This is primarily due to the mentality of the inhabitants Western countries. They are accustomed to making long-term investments that pay off in full only after a few years. And there are few people who are able to pay for the installation of equipment about $ 20 thousand at a time. But the number of people who want to become independent from other sources of heating is constantly growing. Alternative methods of geothermal home heating are becoming more popular, especially given the ever-increasing cost of gas.

Thermal energy literally lies under your feet. It's just a matter of bending down and "picking up" it. A geothermal installation can help with this. Installation of the pump allows, depending on the location, either to fully compensate for the need for thermal energy, or to satisfy them partially, significantly reducing the load on the main source of heating and the hot water supply system of a private house.

autonomnoeteplo.ru

Is home heating efficient with the heat and energy of the earth: analysis and tips for arranging

Geothermal heating is one of the most promising of all alternative energy sources. Unlike solar systems, it practically does not depend on the time of year. But is it profitable to heat a house at the expense of the heat and energy of the earth?

Geothermal home heating

Geothermal heating scheme

First you need to understand the principles of obtaining thermal energy. They are based on the rise in temperature as you go deeper into the earth. At first glance, the increase in the degree of heating is insignificant. But thanks to the advent of new technologies, heating a house with the heat of the earth has become a reality.

The main condition for the organization of geothermal heating is a temperature of at least 6 ° C. This is typical for medium and deep layers of soil and reservoirs. The latter are highly dependent on the external temperature, so they are rarely used. How can you practically organize the heating of the house with the energy of the earth?

To do this, you need to make 3 circuits filled with liquids with different technical specifications:

Outer. More often it circulates antifreeze. Its heating to a temperature not lower than 6 ° C occurs due to the energy of the earth;
Heat pump. Without it, heating from the energy of the earth is impossible. The heat carrier from the external circuit transfers its energy to the refrigerant using a heat exchanger. Its evaporation temperature is less than 6°С. After that, it enters the compressor, where, after compression, the temperature rises to 70 ° C;
Inner contour. According to a similar scheme, heat is transferred from the compressed refrigerant to water in the overcoming system. Thus, heating occurs from the bowels of the earth with minimal cost.

Despite the obvious advantages, it is rare to find such systems. This is due to the high costs of purchasing equipment and organizing an external heat intake circuit.

It is best to entrust the calculation of heating from the heat of the earth to professionals. The efficiency of the entire system will depend on the correctness of the calculations.

Heat pump design

The "heart" of geothermal heating is the heat pump. It consists of several components, the operation of which directly affects the efficiency of the entire system. Therefore, before planning the heating of a private house from the ground, you need to find out the main characteristics of this node.

Since this device belongs to the category of complex equipment, it is recommended to purchase only factory models. The design of the heat pump includes the following components:

Evaporator. In this block, energy is transferred from the external circuit;
Compressor. Needed to create high pressure in the refrigerant environment;
Capillary. It serves to reduce the internal pressure in the refrigerant circuit;
Control system. With its help, the heating of a private house from the ground is regulated - the temperature regime of operation, the speed of passage of heat carriers, etc.

The main problem with self-manufacturing of the heat pump is to reduce heat losses and normalize the operation of the internal refrigerant circuit. Factory models are set up at the manufacturing stage, and the design provides for the possibility of adjusting its parameters.

How to correctly calculate the parameters of the pump so that the heat of the earth for heating the house provides a normal temperature? For this you need to know thermal power pump. For an approximate calculation, you can use the following formula:

Where t1-t2 is the temperature difference between the inlet and return pipes, °C, V is the calculated heat carrier flow rate, m³/h, Q is the rated power of the heat pump, W.

This technique is inapplicable for complex systems, since they contain many additional factors. In particular, heat losses on the highway. This is especially true for those areas where it goes as close as possible to the surface of the soil. To minimize heat losses, the heating pipes should be insulated in the ground.

Since the operation of the heat pump depends on electricity, it is recommended to install an emergency power supply unit.

Options for arranging geothermal heating

Methods for arranging the external contour

In order for the energy of the earth to be used for heating the house as much as possible, you need to choose the right circuit for the external circuit. In fact, any medium can be a source of thermal energy - underground, water or air. But it is important to take into account seasonal changes in weather conditions, as discussed above.

Currently, there are two types of systems that are effectively used for heating a house due to the heat of the earth - horizontal and vertical. Area is a key selection factor. land plot. The layout of the pipes for heating the house with the energy of the earth depends on this.

In addition to it, the following factors are taken into account:

Soil composition. In rocky and loamy areas, it is difficult to make vertical shafts for laying highways;
soil freezing level. He will determine the optimal depth of the pipes;
Location of groundwater. The higher they are, the better for geothermal heating. In this case, the temperature will increase with depth, which is optimal condition for heating from the energy of the earth.

You also need to know about the possibility of reverse energy transfer in the summer. Then the heating of a private house from the ground will not function, and the excess heat will pass from the house into the soil. All refrigeration systems work on the same principle. But for this you need to install additional equipment.

It is impossible to plan the installation of an external circuit away from home. This will increase heat losses in heating from the bowels of the earth.

Horizontal geothermal heating scheme

Horizontal arrangement outer pipes

The most common way to install outdoor highways. It is convenient for ease of installation and the ability to relatively quickly replace faulty sections of the pipeline.

For installation according to this scheme, a collector system is used. For this, several contours are made, located at a minimum distance of 0.3 m from each other. They are connected using a collector, which supplies the coolant further to the heat pump. This will ensure the maximum supply of energy for heating from the heat of the earth.

However, it is necessary to take into account a number of important nuances:

Big square personal plot. For a house of about 150 m², it must be at least 300 m²;
Pipes must be fixed to a depth below the freezing level of the soil;
With the possible movement of the soil during spring floods, the likelihood of displacement of highways increases.

The defining advantage of heating from the heat of the earth of a horizontal type is the possibility of self-arrangement. In most cases, this will not require the involvement of special equipment.

For maximum heat transfer, it is necessary to use pipes with a high thermal conductivity - thin-walled polymer pipes. But at the same time, you should consider ways to insulate heating pipes in the ground.

Vertical diagram of geothermal heating

Vertical geothermal system

This is a more time-consuming way of organizing heating of a private house from the ground. Pipelines are located vertically, in special wells. It is important to know that such a scheme is much more efficient than a vertical one.

Its main advantage is to increase the degree of water heating in the external circuit. Those. the deeper the pipes are located, the more the amount of earth's heat for heating the house will enter the system. Another factor is the small area of land. In some cases, the arrangement of the external geothermal heating circuit is carried out even before the construction of the house in the immediate vicinity of the foundation.

What difficulties can be encountered in obtaining earth energy for heating a house according to this scheme?

Quantitative to quality. For a vertical arrangement, the length of the highways is much higher. It is compensated by higher soil temperature. To do this, you need to make wells up to 50 m deep, which is laborious work;
Soil composition. For rocky soil, it is necessary to use special drilling machines. In loam, to prevent shedding of the well, a protective shell made of reinforced concrete or thick-walled plastic is mounted;
In the event of malfunctions or loss of tightness, the repair process becomes more complicated. In this case, long-term failures in the operation of heating the house for the thermal energy of the earth are possible.

But despite the high initial costs and the complexity of installation, the vertical arrangement of the highways is optimal. Experts advise using just such an installation scheme.

For the circulation of the coolant in the outer circuit in a vertical system, powerful circulation pumps.

Organization of geothermal heating

Installation of a horizontal geothermal heating circuit

Consumers still have the main question - is it possible to use the heating of a country house with the energy of the earth as the main one? This is possible, but only with a professional approach at all stages - from the calculation to the installation and testing of the system.

First of all, you need to choose the right heat pump. Given their high cost, you should first perform all preliminary calculations of its characteristics. Only in this case, heating due to the thermal energy of the earth will have the maximum efficiency. Among the reliable manufacturers are Buderus, Vaillant and Veissman. The average cost of a heat pump for heating from earth is about 360 thousand rubles with a rated power of 6 kW. More productive models can cost over 1 million rubles.

In addition to the cost, you need to pay attention to the material of manufacture of pipes. To minimize heat losses in heating from the thermal energy of the earth, it is recommended to use the following:

Cross-linked polyethylene. Low cost - ideal for horizontal schemes;
Steel stainless pipe. It is used in heating using the thermal energy of the earth with a vertical arrangement of the outer circuit. Favorably differs from cross-linked polyethylene by high thermal conductivity and mechanical strength. The disadvantage is the high cost.

Considering all these factors, in most cases, geothermal heating from the energy of the earth is installed as an additional one. Over time, the cost of components and the efficiency of heat pumps will increase - and only then can such systems be considered as the main ones.

An example of installing geothermal heating in a private house can be found by watching the video:

strojdvor.ru

Underground geothermal home heating

To provide a private house with heat, units operating on electricity, solid, gas or liquid fuels are traditionally used. In recent decades, solar collectors and the heat of the earth's interior have been used as an alternative source of thermal energy. Heating a house using the heat of the earth is called geothermal home heating.

Geothermal heating of the house due to the energy of the earth

Heating from the ground is in growing demand as the cost of conventional energy carriers is steadily rising, while fossil fuel supplies are declining. Investing in earth heating country cottage quite profitable, taking into account economic prospects and significant savings on autonomous heat supply during the heating period.

Methods for obtaining natural thermal energy

Geothermal heat pumps differ in the way they extract heat:

Installations using the heat of deep groundwater, hot geysers, etc.
Systems that include an antifreeze tank installed in the ground at a depth of 75 meters. Heating from the bowels of the earth is provided by the natural heating of the container with antifreeze; as a result, the refrigerant, passing through the heat exchanger, gives off the received heat and returns to the tank.
The geothermal circuit is laid along the bottom of the reservoir, which is a natural heat accumulator. In this case, it must be taken into account that the reservoir can completely freeze in winter.

Types of geothermal heat pumps

Heating a house with earth energy requires large-scale installation work, but it is an environmentally friendly way to get practically free thermal energy. To heat the house, you will need insignificant expenses for the electricity necessary for the functioning of the system.

Principles of operation of geothermal heating

Heating from the energy of the earth is successfully used in various climatic zones: the systems are able to work in both southern and northern regions.

The geothermal installation in the course of its operation uses such physical property some liquids like the ability to evaporate, which leads to cooling of the surface. It is this phenomenon that underlies the operation of refrigeration equipment.

The principle of operation of geothermal heating is a cooling process launched in the opposite direction. This is how air conditioners work, capable of not only cooling, but also heating the air in the room.

How a heat pump works

However, air conditioning units have a limited capacity - they cannot function at temperatures below -5°C. And the geothermal system is able to provide heating for the house, regardless of the air temperature on the surface. This is due to the fact that in the environment from which it takes thermal energy, stable temperature conditions are naturally maintained.

Geothermal heating system device

Geothermy (the science of the thermal state of the Earth) made it possible practical use thermal energy that the earth's crust receives from hot magma at the center of the planet.

A specially designed heat pump for home heating is installed on the surface, and a heat exchanger is mounted in the ground or at the bottom of the reservoir. Thermal energy is “pumped out” to the surface and allows heating the coolant in the heating circuit of a house or non-residential facility.

How is the heating process

Geothermal heating of a private house is a cost-effective option. If you use the energy of the earth to heat a house, then for every kilowatt of electricity needed to operate the equipment, there are from 4 to 6 kW of useful thermal energy obtained from the bowels of the planet.

In comparison with the operation of the air conditioner, we will see that during its operation, more than 1 kW of electricity is required to obtain 1 kW of thermal energy. This is due to the inevitable losses in the conversion of one energy into another, and so on.

It is very profitable to heat a residential building using the thermal energy of the earth's interior, but the payback period for equipment and installation costs will take some time.

Using the heat of the earth to heat the house does not require the installation of a traditional boiler to heat the coolant.

In this case, the system consists of three components:

heating circuit - geothermal source of thermal energy;
heating circuit inside the house - low-temperature radiator or floor;
pumping station - a heat pump for pumping heat energy into the heating circuit from the heating circuit in the ground or under water.

The geothermal heating system can also be used to heat greenhouses, ancillary buildings, pool water, garden paths etc.

Geothermal heating equipment

Geothermal equipment for a deep heating system allows you to accumulate thermal energy extracted from the environment and transfer it to the coolant in the heating circuit.

The list of ground heating equipment includes:

Evaporator. The device is located at a depth, and it serves to absorb thermal energy located in geothermal waters or soil.
Capacitor. Allows you to bring the temperature of antifreeze to the value necessary for the functioning of the system.
Heat pump. Provides circulation of antifreeze in the heating circuit, controls the operation of the geothermal installation.
Buffer tank - a container for collecting heated antifreeze. Allows you to transfer the thermal energy of the earth's interior to the coolant. The tank through which the coolant passes is equipped with a heat exchanger in the form of a coil. Heated antifreeze moves along it, giving off heat.

Diagram of a heat pump device

System installation

Geothermal heating of a country house at the stage of arrangement requires a solid financial investment. The high total cost of the system is largely due to the large amount of land work associated with the installation of the heating circuit.

Over time, the financial costs pay off, because used in heating season thermal energy is extracted from the depths of the earth with minimal electricity consumption.

Installation of a horizontal heat exchanger for a geothermal heating system

To ensure the heating of the house with the heat of the earth, it is necessary to install the system:

the main part should be located underground or at the bottom of the reservoir;
in the house itself, only fairly compact equipment is installed and a radiator or floor heating. The equipment located inside the house allows you to adjust the level of heating of the coolant.

What does geothermal equipment look like in a house?

When designing heating due to the heat of the earth, it is necessary to determine the installation option for the working circuit and the type of collector.

There are two types of collectors:

Vertical - plunges into the ground for several tens of meters. To do this, at a short distance from the house, it is required to drill a number of wells. A contour is immersed in the wells (the most reliable option is pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene).

Disadvantages: Large financial costs for drilling several wells in the ground with a depth of 50 meters or more.

Benefits: The underground location of pipes at a depth where the ground temperature is stable provides high efficiency system operation. In addition, the vertical collector occupies a small area of land.

Horizontal. The use of such a collector is allowed in regions with a warm and temperate climate, since the depth of soil freezing should not exceed 1.5 meters.

Disadvantages: The need to use a large area of the site (the main disadvantage). This piece of land after laying the contour cannot be used for a garden or vegetable garden, since the system works with the release of cold during the transportation of the refrigerant, which will cause the roots of the plants to freeze.

Benefits: Cheaper land work that you can even do yourself.

horizontal and vertical type collector

Geothermal energy can be produced by laying a horizontal geothermal circuit at the bottom of a non-freezing reservoir. However, this is difficult to implement in practice: the reservoir may be located outside the private area, and then the installation of the heat exchanger will need to be coordinated. The distance from the heated object to the reservoir should be no more than 100 meters.

Important! The ambient temperature of the collector must not fall below +5°C. The upper part of the collector in contact with the freezing ground must be protected with thermal insulation to avoid heat loss.

Advantages and disadvantages

Heating with earth energy has a number of advantages:

Efficiency. Compared to the cost of electricity for the operation of a heat pump, the system allows you to get several times more heat energy.
Environmental friendliness. This type of heating is environmentally completely harmless, there are no emissions into the atmosphere.
Safety. There is no need to use any fuel, chemicals, etc., there is no danger of explosion or fire of the equipment.
Minimum need for technical support. A properly installed system is able to work without any intervention for at least 30 years.
Profitability. During operation, there are no repair costs, which allows you to pay back the installation of heating within 5-8 years.
No need to control the operation of the system.
Low noise level during equipment operation.
Inexhaustible source of thermal energy, it is not required to purchase and store an energy carrier.

Environmental friendliness of the use of thermal energy of the subsoil

The disadvantages include:

initially high equipment costs;
the need to conduct complex drilling work in the area for the installation of a vertical circuit or spoil the landscape by preparing trenches for a horizontal heat exchanger.

In temperate climates, geothermal installations have proven their effectiveness. In the northern regions, this type of heating is suitable for small houses (up to 200 m2).

Having figured out how the system works and what parts it is made of, you can determine the possibility of installing it on your own site. Mostly heating from the ground is equipped at the stage of building a house - in this case, it is easier to carry out earthworks, since the layout of the site and the creation landscape design still ahead.

How to make heating from the ground in a private house

Today we will consider geothermal heating, which can be installed for a private house with your own hands. You will learn about the principle of its operation, types, features and self-assembly.

How is the heating of the country house with the heat of the earth

Appearance and distribution

This trend in the spread of geothermal heating is quite understandable. Using the heat of the earth for heating can significantly save the family budget, it is safe and economical.