GEOTHERMAL ENGINEERING - THERMAL STORAGE
Design and Modelling of Underground Thermal Energy Storage Systems Using EED and GHE Tool Software
Thermal energy storage plays an important role in efficient energy management, enabling excess heat to be stored and used during periods of increased demand. These solutions help improve energy efficiency, increase the flexibility of heating systems and optimize operating costs.
The Polish Geological Institute - National Research Institute offers studies on the design, modelling and analysis of geothermal systems, including borehole thermal energy storage (BTES) and ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems. The studies may involve the use of specialized computational tools, such as Earth Energy Designer (EED) and GHE Tool, selected according to the scope and objectives of the analysis.
Earth Energy Designer (EED) is specialized software designed for the design and simulation of geothermal systems using borehole heat exchangers. It enables the analysis of system performance over a multi-year period, taking into account heating and cooling demand, heat exchanger parameters and the properties of the surrounding ground. It can be used to assess design options for both ground source heat pump installations and underground thermal energy storage systems.
The software enables the prediction of changes in the temperature of the circulating heat transfer fluid, the assessment of the impact of variable thermal loads on system performance, and the selection of the number, length and spacing of borehole heat exchangers. It also allows different system configurations to be compared and helps assess whether the assumed parameters and ground conditions will allow temperatures to be maintained within the specified operating range.
GHE Tool is a tool that supports calculations and the design of ground heat exchangers (GHEs). It can be used to analyse heat exchanger parameters, assess their performance under specific conditions and support the selection of appropriate design solutions. Depending on the available modules and the calculation methodology adopted, the tool can complement analyses performed using EED, allowing selected heat exchanger parameters and design options to be examined in greater detail.
The use of specialized software makes it possible to account for the thermal properties of the ground, installation geometry and variations in thermal loads over time. This is particularly important when assessing the suitability of specific geological conditions for geothermal installations and underground thermal energy storage systems.
Main functions and capabilities of analyses using EED and GHE Tool:
- Design and modelling of borehole heat exchangers - analysis of installation geometry and configuration, and selection of design parameters.
- Simulation of geothermal system performance - assessment of system behaviour over the assumed operating period.
- Thermal load analysis - consideration of variations in heating and cooling demand and, in appropriately configured models, seasonal thermal energy storage.
- Assessment of the influence of ground properties - analysis of the significance of the thermal properties of the ground for heat exchanger performance.
- Comparison of design options - assessment of different heat exchanger layouts, lengths and spacing, as well as assumed operating parameters.
- Support for system optimization - identification of solutions that meet the required performance criteria while maintaining reasonable investment and operating costs.
- Visualization of results - presentation of calculation results in the form of graphs, tables and reports, depending on the capabilities of the software used.
The use of EED and GHE Tool enables analyses that support the assessment of geothermal potential and the selection of solutions suited to geological conditions and design requirements. The modelling results can provide a basis for comparing installation options and conducting a preliminary assessment of their energy efficiency.