Subsurface ground temperature: Implications for a district cooling system

Journal Article · Fri Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1995 · ASHRAE Journal

OSTI ID:215474

McCabe, R E; Bender, J J; Potter, K R ^[1]

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1. Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)

Elevated ground temperatures represent an undesirable source of heat gain for uninsulated buried piping found in many district cooling systems. It has been customary for the owners of district cooling systems in northern climates not to insulate their buried chilled water piping. Utility engineers for a large district cooling system at one northern US university have relied on published subsurface ground temperature data and over the past 30 years have installed more than 15 miles (24 km) of directly buried uninsulated chilled water supply and return distribution piping. The utility engineers now estimate that during the summer cooling season, peak heat gains in the buried chilled water piping exceed 450 tons (1,583 kW) and cause $100,000 in energy losses each year. Ground heat gains due to elevated subsurface temperature have been suspected as production tonnage exceeds end-user sales by 10% during the peak cooling season. The utilities staff decided it was time to reassess method for installing chilled water piping on campus and determine if the university design standard of installing uninsulated buried chilled water piping remains valid for the campus environment.

• OSTI ID: 215474
• Journal Information: ASHRAE Journal, Journal Name: ASHRAE Journal Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 37; ISSN 0001-2491; ISSN ASHRAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
CENTRAL HEATING PLANTS
CONSTRUCTION
DESIGN
DISTRICT COOLING
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES