Why Cooling And Geothermal Go Together, Practical And Advanced Examples Of Concepts

Abstract

It is obvious to use geothermal heat directly for heating industrial, public or residential buildings, though it is a constant and continuously available source. But in many cases, mostly half a year, there is only low demand of heat I.E. For hot water. In summertime or generally in warm regions as well as in cases where other heat sources like thermal discharges shall be used for heating or even produce a surplus, geothermal cooling is a possible approach. For an efficient use of geothermal energy sufficiently high temperatures must be expected. At the same time reliable exploration and quality management require drilling tools as well as devices for investigation and interaction in wells, which are adjusted to the challenging ambient conditions down-hole. One of the key challenges is high temperature in combination with high performance electronic components. Therefore, suitable cooling systems whether for short term or continues temperature management can be advantageous. For both named cases cooling machines running a thermodynamic two-phase cycle play a major role. For the cooling of electronic components in down-hole tools, a compression cooling machine adjusted to common borehole conditions is part of investigation at the karlsruhe institute of technology kit. Absorption cooling machines are investigated as possible linking element between heat surpluses and cooling demand.