Drying Wool and Other Direct Uses of Geothermal Energy in Hebei, China

Abstract

Geothermal well Gao4, at 3432 m depth, a wellhead temperature of 114?C, shut-in well pressure of 1.5 MPa, and artesian flow of 2160 m3/d, has the highest well temperature in Northern China. Located in Gaoyang County, Hebei Province, it has been used for drying wool because of the many wool mills near Gaoyang County. The drying equipment is a geothermal net conveyor belt drier. The moisture content by wet basis of the moist wool is 40% and the moisture content by wet basis of the dry wool is 15%; the dry wool product capacity is 280 kg/h, the dehydrating capacity is 120 kg/h and the temperature of the hot air can reach about 95?C. The residual water leaving the geothermal drier is also used in geothermal greenhouses (7337 m2), district heating (1500 m2), fish ponds (3335 m2) and geothermal bathing. Multiple use of geothermal energy is a reality in Gaoyang County.