District Heating with Geothermally Heated Culinary Water Supply Systems

Abstract

An initial feasibility study of using existing culinary water supply systems to provide hot water for space heating and air conditioning to a typical residential community is reported. The Phase I study has centered on methods of using low to moderate temperature water for heating purposes including institutional barriers, identification and description of a suitable residential community water system, evaluation of thermal losses in both the main distribution system and the street mains within the residential district, estimation of size and cost of the pumping station main heat exchanger, sizing of individual residential heat exchangers, determination of pumping an power requirements due to increased flow through the residential area mains, and pumping and power requirements from the street mains through a typical residence. All results of the engineering study of Phase I are encouraging.