Geothermal heating. Do-it-yourself geothermal heat pump Heating system from the ground

Content

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

Geothermal home heating using earth energy

Heating from the ground is in growing demand as the cost of conventional energy sources is steadily increasing, while fossil fuel reserves are decreasing. Investing in ground heating country cottage quite profitable taking into account economic prospects and significant savings on autonomous heat supply during the heating season.

Methods for obtaining natural thermal energy

Geothermal heat pumps vary in the way they extract heat:

Installations that use the heat of deep groundwater, hot geysers, etc.
Systems that include a tank with antifreeze installed in the ground at a depth of 75 meters. Heating from the depths of the earth is provided by the natural heating of a container with antifreeze; As a result, the refrigerant, passing through the heat exchanger, gives off the resulting heat and returns to the container.
The geothermal circuit is laid along the bottom of a reservoir, which is a natural heat accumulator. IN in this case It is necessary to take into account that the reservoir can completely freeze in winter.

Types of geothermal heat pumps

Heating a house with earth's energy requires large-scale installation of the system, but it is an environmentally friendly way to obtain practically free thermal energy. To heat a house, there will be a small cost for the electricity needed for the system to function.

Operating principles of geothermal heating

Heating using earth energy has been successfully used in various climatic zones: the systems are capable of operating in both southern and northern regions.

During its operation, a geothermal installation uses such physical property some liquids have the ability to evaporate, which leads to cooling of the surface. This phenomenon underlies the operation of refrigeration equipment.

The operating principle of geothermal heating is a cooling process running in reverse. This is how air conditioners work, capable of not only cooling, but also heating the air in the room.

Working principle of a heat pump

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

Construction of a geothermal heating system

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

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

How does the heating process occur?

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

In comparison with the operation of an air conditioner, we will see that when operating it, more than 1 kW of electricity is required to produce 1 kW of thermal energy. This is due to the inevitable losses in converting one energy into another, etc.

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

Using the heat of the earth to heat a house does not require installing 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 thermal energy into the heating circuit from the heating circuit in the soil or under water.

Geothermal heating systems can also be used to heat greenhouses, auxiliary buildings, swimming pool water, garden paths etc.

Equipment for arranging geothermal heating

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 equipment for heating using earth heat includes:

Evaporator. The device is located at depth, and it serves to absorb thermal energy located in geothermal waters or soil.
Capacitor. Allows you to bring the antifreeze temperature to the value necessary for the functioning of the system.
Heat pump. Provides circulation of antifreeze in the heating circuit and 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.

Heat pump design diagram

System installation

Geothermal heating country house at the stage of arrangement requires solid cash investments. The high final cost of the system is largely due to the large volume of earthworks associated with the installation of the heating circuit.

Over time, the financial costs pay off, since used during the heating season thermal energy extracted from the depths of the earth with minimal costs electricity.

Installation of a horizontal heat exchanger for a geothermal heating system

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

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

What does geothermal equipment look like in a home?

When designing heating using ground heat, it is necessary to decide on the installation option of the working circuit and the type of collector.

There are two types of collectors:

Vertical - sinks into the ground several tens of meters. To do this, you need to drill a number of wells at a short distance from the house. The circuit is immersed into the wells (the most reliable option- pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene).

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

Advantages: The underground location of pipes at a depth where the soil temperature is stable provides high efficiency system operation. Besides, vertical collector occupies a small area of land.

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

Disadvantages: Necessity of use large area plot (main disadvantage). After laying the circuit, this piece of land cannot be used for a garden or vegetable garden, since the system works by releasing cold when transporting the refrigerant, which will cause the plant roots to freeze.

Advantages: Cheaper earthworks, which you can even do yourself.

Horizontal and vertical type collector

Geothermal energy can be extracted by laying a horizontal geothermal circuit at the bottom of a frost-free reservoir. However, this is difficult to implement in practice: the reservoir may be located outside private territory 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 temperature of the environment surrounding the collector should not fall below +5°C. In contact with freezing ground top part The collector must be protected with thermal insulation to avoid loss of thermal energy.

Advantages and disadvantages

Heating with earth energy has a number of advantages:

Efficiency. Compared to the cost of electricity to operate a heat pump, the system allows you to obtain several times more thermal energy.
Environmental friendliness. This type of heating is completely environmentally friendly, there are no emissions into the atmosphere.
Safety. No need to use any fuel, chemicals etc., there is no threat of explosion or fire of the equipment.
Minimal need for technical support. A properly installed system can operate without any intervention for at least 30 years.
Economical. During operation, there are no repair costs, which allows you to pay for the installation of heating within 5-8 years.
There is no need to monitor the operation of the system.
Low noise level during equipment operation.
Inexhaustible source of thermal energy; no need to purchase and store energy.

Environmentally friendly use of thermal energy from the subsoil

The disadvantages include:

initially high costs for equipment;
the need to carry out complex drilling work at the site 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 heating suitable for houses small area(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 own plot. Mostly, heating from the ground is installed at the stage of building a house - in this case it is easier to carry out excavation, since the layout of the site and the creation landscape design still to come.

We know that geothermy is the heat of the Earth, and the concept “geothermal” is often associated with volcanoes and geysers. In Russia, geothermal energy is used mainly in industrial scale For example, there are Far Eastern power plants that operate using the heat of our planet.

Many people are sure that making geothermal heating at home with their own hands is something out of science fiction. Is not it? But this is absolutely not true! With development modern technologies household use“green energy” has become quite real.

We will talk about the operating principles of alternative heating, its advantages and disadvantages, and compare it with traditional heating systems. You will also learn about how to position the heat exchanger and how to install geothermal heating with your own hands.

When the oil crisis broke out in the 70s of the last century, a burning need arose in the West. It was at this time that the first geothermal heating systems began to be created.

Today they are widespread in the United States, Canada and Western European countries.

Image gallery

About geothermal heating sources

The following sources of terrestrial thermal energy can be used for geothermal heating:

high temperature;
low temperature.

High temperature ones include, for example, thermal springs. They can be used, but their scope is limited by the actual location of such sources.

If in Iceland this type of energy is actively used, then in Russia thermal waters are located far from populated areas. They are concentrated as much as possible in Kamchatka, where underground water used as a coolant and supplied to hot water supply systems.

The external contour looks much larger than the internal one, although its dimensions can only be assessed during planning and installation. During operation, it is invisible because it is underground or underwater. Plain water or ethylene glycol-based antifreeze circulates inside this circuit, which is much preferable.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

If you find it easier to perceive visual information, then this video will allow you to see with your own eyes exactly how a geothermal system functions, as well as learn more about who benefits from this type of heating and why.

We invite you to watch a short video in which the owner of a horizontal subsoil collector will talk about his impressions of its operation. Additionally, by watching this video, you will learn about the ongoing costs associated with operating a geothermal heating system.

Each owner of a private home chooses for himself whether to buy the services of resource supply organizations or rely only on himself. In doing so, he is guided by a whole list of considerations.

Do you have anything to add or have questions about geothermal heating of a private home? You can leave comments on the publication. The contact form is located in the lower block.

Included in fashion alternative ways home heating. For such systems there is no need for the house to be located close to gas mains. At the same time, the designs do not provide for any fuel combustion. One of effective options is thermal heating of the house. Developing technologies contribute to the fact that various models of this type of space heating appear on the domestic market.

Application of earth energy

It must be taken into account that the soil, even in severe frost, does not freeze too deeply in most regions of the country. This property is even exploited by builders who lay pipelines below the average soil freezing level. The thermal value is +5-+7 0 C. This allows you to use the energy of the earth to heat the house.

The heat received thanks to modern installation manages to accumulate. The principle of operation of geothermal heating at home, according to reviews from owners, is similar to the principle of operation of a refrigerator. The work cycle algorithm is as follows:

you need to get heat in order to store it and redirect it to the energy battery;
antifreeze is heated in one of the system circuits, and it transfers energy to the water circulating in the second heating and hot water circuit;
the cooled antifreeze is redirected to the heat exchanger area to gain heat again.

This approach allows you to use the heat of the earth to heat your house. The systems use geothermal pumps. The recovered heat can be sufficient both to operate the installation as the main source of heat in the room, and to operate it as a backup or auxiliary circuit.

VIDEO: A miracle of technology - heat from underground

Principle of operation

Heating from the ground is no longer a fantastic or isolated development. In many European countries this area is a priority. In our country it is also gaining its fans.

It has long been noted that during evaporation, certain substances cool the surface they leave. This property was first used in household and industrial refrigerators for cooling. Later, the idea arose to use the reverse effect of this phenomenon, obtaining warm air. It was introduced into air conditioners that operate for heating. However, they are not able to function at temperatures below -50C. Geothermal devices do not have this drawback.

Equipment operation diagram

The basic link in the system is a heat pump, used in two circuits:

first circuit - classical system heating system with water coolant, consisting of main pipes, radiators and shut-off valves;
the second circuit is a large-sized heat exchanger located deep in the soil or under a large open body of water.

Inside the second circuit, both special antifreeze and prepared water are used. It is heated by energy internal heat ground and goes to the heat pump. From it, heat is transferred to the internal circuit and enters the radiators.

An important part is the heat pump. Its dimensions do not exceed the size washing machine. Consuming 1 kW, the device produces 4-5 kW of heating power. For comparison, air conditioners operate approximately in the consumption/output mode of 1 to 1.

Today, the price of earth heat for heating a house still remains high, but it is constantly decreasing.

The main costs during the installation process go to expensive foreign equipment and work with the soil. There are also developments in order to independently construct geothermal pumps that create heat in the house.

System advantages

Geothermal heating has a lot of positive qualities that set it apart from other systems, such as gas or electric. Benefits include:

the installation is absolutely safe in terms of fire, since there is no flame in it;
no need to break through chimneys for installation;
no harmful emissions, noise or unpleasant odors;
compact equipment does not take up much space;
there is no need to deliver or store any fuel;
the inexhaustible energy of the earth is used;
the equipment can operate for heating in winter and cooling in summer;
high performance at battery life;
Although installation costs are expensive, operating costs are several times lower than those of traditional heating sources.

Types of layout

There are several options for installing geothermal systems. They are similar in effectiveness and are used depending on the capabilities of the nearby landscape and temperature conditions region.

Vertical installations

The main difference is the installation of the heat exchanger. The most compact is its vertical arrangement. This option does not require significant land areas. However, it is necessary to use a drilling rig, since deep wells will be needed.

The approximate depth of wells for geothermal systems is 50-200 m for effective operation.

This type is the most expensive to install, but its expected service life, according to manufacturers, is up to 100 years, which is still the longest period among similar systems. The main advantage vertical installation is the maximum preservation of the adjacent landscape.

Horizontal installation

For regions where the level of soil freezing is relatively shallow, it is advantageous to locate the heat exchanger in horizontal plane. In this situation, the pipes are located in a dug trench. It occupies a fairly large area, which is often presented as a disadvantage of this layout. However, in this situation, expensive drilling is not required.

The collector in the form of tubes is distributed in loops throughout the designated area. It is necessary to move 1.5-2 m away from the roots of the trees so that they do not damage the structure. The approximate area for heating a house of 250 m2 will be about 600 m2. Not everyone has the resources to host a geothermal reservoir.

Underwater placement

Installing a collector under the water column is one of the most effective ways home heating. It is advisable that the reservoir be located no further than 100 m from the housing construction. The collector spirals are mounted to a depth of at least 2.5-3 m, which will allow them to be below the freezing point. The surface of the reservoir must be at least 200 m2 in area.

When the collector is placed in water, the need for water work is significantly reduced, and there is no loss in the efficiency of the installation.

Inside the house, such heating will resemble classic water system with radiators. However, heating of the coolant will be carried out without the use of fuel.

Of course, such a system is still very expensive - 2-3 times more expensive than gas heating. But if you calculate the savings on fuel, the reliability and safety of the equipment, the duration of operation - usually houses are built not for 10 or even 20 years, but for much longer. longer period, it becomes clear that such a system is the future. You can try to install it right now, or you can wait a few more years when domestic developments appear on the market.

VIDEO: Economical heating houses, types of heat pumps, connection diagram

Currently, many owners of private and country houses They believe that geothermal heating of a house is something from the realm of overseas science fiction, and such a miracle can only be installed where there is some volcanic activity or hot springs. And since this kind of phenomenon is 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 produces heat quite successfully, even if the temperature is low. Therefore, this still alternative source of heating can be used in temperate climates. Is it possible to install geothermal heating yourself? The answer to this question is yes, but before doing so, it is worth studying additional material about the features of the system, its advantages, and also 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 a heat pump, which is switched on in two circuits simultaneously. 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.

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

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 labor-intensive to install. To buy special equipment and carry out large-scale excavation work, a lot of financial resources will be required.

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

First of all, it is necessary to take into account that there are three types of heat exchangers - horizontal, vertical and water-based.

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

Vertical heat exchanger. Such a device is more compact, but at the same time more expensive. In order to equip your home with geothermal heating 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 method, but it can last as long as 100 years! If you want to geoheat a house located outside the city, then the system is suitable. And the landscape remains untouched.

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 from a body of water no more than 100 meters. The pipeline contour 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 making geothermal heating of a country house yourself is quite difficult. However, you can implement your plan with at least one assistant. The best option is the third method, but there are several necessary points, without which it will not work, and in particular, a reservoir.

Note that, despite the fact that installing a system that receives heat from the earth to heat a house is quite expensive, do not skimp on installation. After all, the heating efficiency 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 earth's energy for heating a house cannot be exhausted.
There is no risk of fire here.
There is no need to buy fuel and store it.
The system is completely environmentally friendly and safe.
Works autonomously.
You don't have to spend money on heating maintenance.
Productivity is high.

Heating a house using earth energy goes well with underfloor heating. If you use this combination of two heating systems, then you will have an evenly distributed temperature throughout all rooms, there will be no overheating zones. If you study the reviews, you can note that the costs of installing the system pay off, on average, after three years.

Installation considerations

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

Geothermal heating of a private home necessarily requires that the main part of the system will be located underground when you use vertical or horizontal heat exchangers. And the device itself is installed in the premises, generating thermal energy.

Let's sum it 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 increasingly common nowadays. And today you can even find specially created universities that are studying 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, underground heating of a private house is being improved, it is being developed as simple as possible, but at the same time - functional way installation In this case, it is assumed that it is possible to independently calculate all parameters and so on. Ground 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.

A cozy and comfortable home, cool in summer and warm in winter, is, without exaggeration, the dream of every person. There are many types of home heating - wood, peat, electricity, coal, gas, geothermal heating. But equipment that runs on coal, gas, peat and the like cannot in any way be classified as environmentally friendly and safe. And the cost of such fuel fluctuates greatly.

Many people believe that gas heating private house is best option. However, there are also some very significant negative aspects. In some cases, it is impossible to install such heating if a gas main is not connected to your cottage. Installation gas installation requires constant maintenance, strict compliance with all safety standards, as well as special permits.

However there is one enough a good option heating without gas is geothermal heating of the house. The number of users of such systems is increasing daily, since such heating boasts many positive qualities. Among the most important is that such a heating system is the most economical, as well as environmentally friendly and safe.

Principle of operation

The heating system from the heat of the earth consists of 3 main components:

Inner circuit;
External contour;
Heat pump.

Many people are interested in the question: what is heating with earth energy? The design of such a system is quite difficult to understand, so for clarification we will give a small example.

You could say that a geothermal system is in some ways a refrigerator, but in reverse.

The evaporator, which plays the role of a freezer here, is located deep in the bowels of the earth. The condenser, which is made in the form of a copper coil, is used to bring air or water to the required temperature. The temperature of the evaporator located underground is significantly lower than above the surface.

According to manufacturers of such heating systems, the temperature ranges from 5 to 8 degrees Celsius.

Principle of operation.

The use of durable and reliable compressors, as well as innovative technologies refrigeration systems make it possible to create unique and unusual ways“low-quality” heat, which is located above the ground, into “high-quality” heat, which is subsequently used in geothermal heating of a private house.

As a result, this allows you to start industrial production The main element in this method of heating a room is heat pumps.

Geothermal heating systems work on the principle of physically transferring heat to a refrigerant using energy from the earth. Approximately the same operating principle is implemented in a conventional refrigerator. More than 75% of the total volume of heat that is released during the operation of the home heating system is environmental energy, which is subsequently accumulated and supplied to living rooms and other premises of the cottage.

For this reason given energy has a remarkable ability to self-heal, as a result of which the geothermal heating system does not cause any damage to the environment and energy balance of our planet.

History of appearance

The main reason for the appearance of such heating systems for cottages is the energy crises that took place in the 70s of the last century. Initially, only the most elite and wealthy families allowed themselves to install an innovative heating system from the ground.

Subsequently, thanks to the gradual development of science and technology, as well as the emergence of new technologies, such systems became more widespread, because their acquisition cost was constantly decreasing.

A geothermal heating system is now available to average-income families without breaking the bank. Improvement and modernization of geothermal equipment is still being carried out, since the installation of new units leads to a reduction in energy consumption and large savings.

pros

The functioning of such heating systems is carried out on a qualitatively new and unusual fuel - the energy of the bowels of the earth is used for air conditioning and heating of a private home. This energy creates optimal and comfortable living conditions and does not pollute environment harmful substances and waste. The house is heated using free energy; for 1 kW of electricity, the system returns 4-5 kW of heat

Geothermal operates efficiently and safely without any combustion processes, so there is no risk that the system will catch fire or explode.

An equally important advantage is that there is no need to purchase additional hoods and chimneys, which may be required to ensure the smooth functioning of other types of heating systems. During heating operation there are no emissions from the ground harmful fumes and odors, such a system does not emit unnecessary noise, and also does not take up much space.

Geothermal units, unlike solid fuel and liquid fuel systems, are practically invisible to people; they do not destroy the integrity of the facade and interior of the house. There is no need to waste time thinking about issues such as storage, delivery and purchase of fuel, since the planet’s energy is inexhaustible.

Another very remarkable fact is that you can use it to heat rooms in winter or cool a cottage during hot weather.

If you need to heat your house with the heat of the earth, then it is also worth considering its financial side. Let us immediately note that the installation process of such a system will require greater costs compared to diesel and gas equipment.

In contrast, it can be noted that the level of electricity consumption is much lower, so that in the long term, the economic feasibility of purchasing geothermal equipment is visible to the naked eye. According to the developers, for every kilowatt spent electrical energy Up to five kilowatts of thermal energy will be returned.

Installation

There are several ways to save a minimum of space for installing heat pumps:

operation of underground probes. To do this, you will need to run a special circuit filled with antifreeze into a deep well;
exploitation of warm groundwater. To do this, you will need to drill a fairly deep well. Groundwater are driven through a heat exchanger, having previously been pumped out by a pump;
laying special umbrellas in horizontal position below the level of winter glaciation at the bottom of the reservoir.

Conclusion

Finally, we note that geothermal environmentally friendly heating has proven itself to be most effective when operating in conjunction with “ warm floors" This allows the home owner to enjoy unique coziness and comfort, as well as save a good amount of money.

The main advantage of this unusual combination is that the principle of uniform heating of the entire room is ensured, preventing the creation of overheating zones. Over a year of operation, savings from using such a system of underfloor heating and geothermal heating reaches about 20% compared to traditional radiator batteries.

Do-it-yourself geothermal heating is quite real project, which promises many benefits to owners of private houses. Of course, some equipment will have to be purchased from finished form, since making it at home is simply impossible. But quite a large amount of work can be done independently, without involving specialists.

Significant cost savings are only one of the advantages of such a solution. Another “plus” is confidence in the quality of materials and work performed.