Maine Section ASCE

2008 Technical Seminar

Lewiston, Maine
March 20, 2008

ENERGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE

MAINE GOETHERMAL ENERGY

WAITING TO BE TAPPED

AN OVERVIEW

Steve Pinette
Senior Geologist
207-883-5714
spinette@swcole.com

Tremendous resource
energy consumption
greenhouse gases

Maine and New England

US Military, GSA, Midwestern/Northwestern US and Canada

Heat generated
from:
1) cooling in the
earth
earths core, and
2) radioactive
mineral decay

to 3,000 oC

+3,000 to
7,000 oC

Heat
dissipated
out through
the mantle
& crust

45-70+ oC

Big G
High Temp. Geothermal in areas
associated with thin crust,
volcanoes, rift areas .

High Temperatures Generated at Plate Boundaries

Geothermal Heatflow Map of North America, 2004

Adapted from Southern Methodist University Geothermal Laboratory

BIG G

Little g

How Do We Tap this Heat?

1. Closed-loop systems
2. Standing column wells

MOST COMMON

3. Slinky systems in soil trenches

4. Open loops, pond loops, .

Closed loop system no contact between

the water in the pipes and groundwater

No drawdown of water table

extracts heat only

Typically 300 400 ft. deep; borings 4 5 inches

diameter; geo-loop is 1.25 inches diameter HDPE

One heat pump on its own ground loop

25 Ft.

4 Ft.

200 Ft.

20 Ft.
Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Common loop conditioned by vertical

ground heat exchanger
A

HDPE geo-loop

u-tubes in
vertical bores.

Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Closed-loop boreholes typically 25

ft. apart; geo-loop being grouted
Tremie pipe

HDPE loop

DPE Geo-loop pipe

generally guaranteed
or 50 years)

DPE lines running from

headers to building;
several bore holes per
header

Geo-loop entry via pre-fab

holes in foundation

Standing Column Well

(typically up to 1500 deep; used mainly in Northeast)

to heat pumps
optional A
A
bleed
soil

sleeve
discharge
Rock
formation

submersible
pump

perforated
intake

***Groundwater quality is critical to run these systems!!

Below a depth of about 800, need auxiliary compressor or two rigs

running in tandem to provide compressor air capacity to lift drill
cuttings up the borehole
- Without extra compressor, some cuttings remain in the borehole
to damage well pumps and other equipment

p
providing auxiliary air

Ground loops can be vertical or horizontal

Generally requires
1500-3000 ft2 land
area per ton

Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Common loop conditioned by surface water

(Closed loop)
A

Typically, 15 tons/acre
(depth15-20 ft) or as high
as 85 tons/acre for well
stratified deep lakes

Lake

HDPE Coils with

UV Protection in
Loose Bundles

Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

10

Open-loop conditioned by groundwater

Spent Water can be discharged to injection well or to

surface water body no recirculation

Plate heat exchanger

Optional
injection
well

Production
well pump

River or
other surface
body

Generally requires
wells with flow of 2-3
gpm/ton

Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Open-loop conditioned by surface water

More suited to
warm climates, or
cooling-only
applications

Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Plate heat
exchanger

Water discharge

Pump
Water intake

***Not appropriate for State regulated water

bodies in Northeast
No-discharge farm ponds generally okay

11

GHP System Options

Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Other methods of conditioning a single

or common loop:

Wastewater streams
Community loop
Potable water supplies (where allowed)
Hybrid systems (e.g., partial cooling with a
chiller during peak periods)

Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

12

Commercial system: multiple GHPs on a

common loop
Heat
Pump

Heat
Pump

Heat
Pump

DP

Signal Wire to Drive

A

Transducer

Heat
Pump

Heat
Pump

Interior Pipe
Headers

Purge
Valves
A

Aux.
Pump
Pump

Variable Speed Drive

Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Heat pumps at
Gorham Middle School

Closed loop

140,000 sf

~200 tons

119 boreholes,

375 ft. depths

4.5 dia.

13

In New England,
most of the systems will be
closed-loop or standing-column
well systems installed in bedrock

Primary Concern

Rock Type and its Thermal Properties

14

Amount of Heat supplied to boreholes

Fouriers Law
Rate of heat
Production

Q = -kA dT/dx

Temperature
gradient

Coefficient of
Thermal Conductivity
Area

Calculate K (thermal conductivity)

Differential
temperature
= 1 degree
(dT)

BTU
(Q)/hour

Thickness =
1 inch (dl)

1 foot
1 foot
Q = k A dT/dl

15

Measuring Thermal Conductivity

Closed-Loop Borehole

Q We know how much heat (BTUs) the building will need

A ?? The area that we need to supply this heat (borehole area how
many borings and to what depth?)

K We can estimate this based on rock type, but there are broad
ranges in the same rock type better to test

dT/dx (temp. gradient) We can guess,

but better to test

***If you use general values, usually end up with

conservative design. In one case, testing allowed
designer to reduce number of proposed boreholes by
50%.

16

Required by the system design software

Source: GRTI, 2006

Also need to know Heat Capacity

The quantity of heat required to raise
the temperature of a system by one
degree (can obtain standard values
for this)
Need to know this plus the thermal
conductivity to calculate diffusivity

17

Thermal Diffusivity
Thermal conductivity of a substance
divided by the product of its density
and heat capacity

For Standing Column Wells with bleed

we also need to know

Sustainable Well Yield

***This is one key reason for system problems***

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Broad Range of Thermal Conductivities in Similar/Same Rock Types

Source: Montan Universitt (www.uniloben.ac.at)

Thermal Coefficients for Common Materials

K
BTU/hrBTU/hr-ftft-oF

Granite
Marble
Gneiss
Quartzite
Slate
Sandstone
Limestone
Moist Sand
Dry Sand

1.51.5-2.1
1.21.2-1.9
1.31.3-2.0
3.03.0-4.0
0.90.9-1.5
1.21.2-2.0
1.41.4-2.2
1.41.4-1.7
0.80.8-1.4

Cp
Btu/lboF

0.21
0.22
0.22
0.20
0.22
0.24
0.22
---

Diff (
()
ft2/day

1.01.0-1.4
0.80.8-1.2
0.90.9-1.2
2.22.2-3.0
0.60.6-0.9
0.70.7-1.2
1.01.0-1.4
0.80.8-1.0
0.80.8-1.3

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Other features that affect heat transfer

Fractures
Voids in the rock
Water saturation

20

21

Higher Thermal
Conductivity if saturated
with groundwater

Entering Water Temperature Affects System Efficiency

Its not a parameter that we can control, but
Higher Temp more efficient for heating
Lower Temp more efficient for cooling

heating

Heating COP

Increasing
Efficiency

cooling

20
15

3
10

2
1

0
20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Cooling EER

25

90 100

Entering water temperature (F)

Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

22

Deep earth (and groundwater)

temperatures in the U.S.

Maximum Temperatures (oF)

46 (400)

Explanation?
Off-shore
Seamount??

64
49.8 (400)
50.5 (400)

48.1 (420)
50.1 (190)

48.0 (405)

48.1 (450)
47.5(115-135)
52.9(115-1500)

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Test Groundwater for Chemical Parameters

***Critical for Standing Column Well Systems!!!

Metals

Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mg,
Mn, Mo, Na, Pb, Ni, Sb, Se, Si, Sr, Tl, Ti, V, Zn

Other Ions

Br, Cl, F, NH3-N, NO2-N, NO3-N, PO4, SO4

Synthetic
Organic
Compounds

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Semi-volatile Organic

Compounds (SVOCs)

Other
Parameters

Radon, Uranium, Hardness, Alkalinity, Ammonia-N, OrthoPhosphorous, Dissolved Organic Carbon, Cyanide, Total
Dissolved Solids, Total Dissolved Solids, Total Suspended
Solids, Total Coliform Bacteria, Color, Odor, Iron Bacteria

Field
Parameters

Dissolved Oxygen, Specific Conductivity, pH, Turbidity

Water Quality and Standing Column Well System

Bleed must
be clean

soil

sleeve
discharge
Rock
formation

submersible
pump

perforated
intake

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COROSION INDICES
for Standing Column Wells only
Chloride concentration (road salt, paleo
seawater, marine environment)
Calcium Carbonate Saturated pH
Langelier Index
Aggressive Index
Rynzar Stability Index

Advantages of GHPs
High efficiency

Lower energy consumption & CO2 footprint

Lower energy cost

Low maintenance cost

Low life cycle cost
No outdoor equipment
Greater occupant comfort

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***Less Greenhouse Gas Emissions***

Note: This takes into account emissions from

electric power plant (non-renewables)

Source: Whitney Engineering, 2008

So
Lower energy consumption
Smaller Carbon Footprint
what about $ Payback period??

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CLOSED LOOP

(Source: Whitney Engineering)

PROBABLE CONSTRUCTION COSTS GORHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL

Sq. Ft.
140,000
Heating ~3,000,000 Btu/hr. Feb.
Cooling ~292 tons cooling in July
A. Data:
$/Sq. Ft.
Cost
Total New Building
$11,800,000
84.29
Total Mechanical
$ 2,419,000
17.28
Base HVAC Systems
$ 1,831,300
13.08
Geothermal Field
Boilers, Cooling Tower

$
$

653,900
540,000

4.67
3.86

B. Cost Comparison: Geothermal vs. Conventional HVAC

Base HVAC Systems
Geothermal Bid Price
Conventional Bid Price
Total

$ 1,831,300
$ 653,900
$ 2,485,200

$ 1,831,300
$ 540,000
$ 2,371,300

C. Extra Cost for Geothermal: $ 113,900 ($0.81/SF)

ECONOMIC EVALUATION
(Source: Whitney Engineering)

Project: Gorham Middle School

Sq. Ft.
140,000
BOREHOLES
(Closed Loop)
1. Extra Cost for Geothermal $ 113,900
2. Energy Savings
$ 40,000
3. SIMPLE PAYBACK

2.85 Years

STANDING
COLUMN
WELLS
$ 293,000
$ 40,000
7.3 Years

Note: Energy savings based on Middle School with

conventional Water Source Heat Pump (WSHP)
system and Gorham Middle School with geothermal HVAC
system

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Bowdoin College Dorms

Standing-Column Well Example
(Source: Harriman Associates)

66,000 sf with 180 beds

Heated/cooled with Standing-Column Well system

Uses
seven 1500-foot wells with
seven 30-ton heat pumps
2,500 gallon cistern to collect bleed water; this water is used to
flush toilets had no place to discharge
heat recovery ventilation

Compared to 2M BTU gas boiler & 150-ton chiller Geothermal system

was $515,000 more

Design Payback 9.6 years

Actual Payback 6.2 years

Closed-Loop vs. Standing-Column Wells

Closed-Loop

Pro In-ground system is robust and durable; little attention after

installation

Pro Existing or future groundwater quality is not a major concern,

except during drilling

Pro - Less/little need for regulatory oversight and permitting

Con Higher front costs ($2,600 - $3,000 per ton installed [Harriman])

Con Requires a larger area for bore field

Standing-Column Wells

Pro Lower front costs ($2,400 -$2,800 per ton installed

Pro Can be sited around existing buildings and requires smaller

footprint

[Harriman])

Con - Groundwater quality and sand/grit create major problems for

equipment

Con - Requires more DEP oversight and permitting

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