Thermal Response Testing Takes a Step Forward

Journal Article · Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Geo Outlook

OSTI ID:1399401

Clemenzi, Rick ^[1]; Ewbank, Garen ^[2]; Siglin, Judy ^[1]; Liu, Xiaobing ^[3]

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1. Geothermal Design Center Inc., Asheville, NC (United States)
2. Ewbank and Associates, Fairview, OK (United States)
3. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Oak Ridge National Labs has independently confirmed the accuracy of a new breakthrough Advanced Thermal Response Test (TRT) method that it claims “uses less than half of the test time, allows for a fluctuating or interruptible heat flux, performs quality validation of a GHEX installation, and yields new insights into ground thermal conductivity that warrant further research.” The new Advanced TRT approach will reduce costs and, for the first time, also determine the actual thermal conductivity of grout as it is installed. As everyone in the ground source heat pump (GSHP) industry knows, assuring the quality of the grout job of a ground heat exchanger (GHEX) is an especially vexing problem. Unless one is standing at the borehole head the entire time grouting is underway, they basically have no idea how good or bad the grouting job is or even if the loop pipe itself is installed correctly. This problem has been further brought to light with formal third party grout reports confirming that grout had been poured from the surface and that many loops were shorter than the specified depth in several projects

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Geothermal Technologies Office (EE-4G) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Geothermal Technologies Office (EE-4G)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1399401
• Journal Information: Geo Outlook, Journal Name: Geo Outlook Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 14; ISSN 9999-0008
• Publisher: Oklahoma State University - International Ground Source Heat Pump
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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58 GEOSCIENCES