Software to Design and Analyze Geothermal District Heating and Cooling Systems, and Related Air Quality Improvements

Abstract

HEATMAP is a computerized tool intended to provide a fast, reliable, and economic means of describing and analyzing geothermal district heating and cooling (DHC) systems. Use of the program furnishes owners, developers, designers, planners, engineers, and operators with extensive technical and economic information that may be used to model potential alternative sustain development and operational strategies and to compare such systems with existing heating and cooling supplier. The software can also be a valuable tool for community planners in defining all aspects of developing , evaluating, and justifying a new geothermal /DHC project. The program consists of four major components: a central controller, a geographic orientation and layout program, a geothermal system production program, and a distribution network analysis program.

The geothermal production will allow the user to draw and describe a geothermal well field production system with multiple production and injection wells connected to a single plant, or multiple doublets serving as a single production plant Both production and injection wells can be modeled and costs calculated.

The use of the program should significantly enhance the user's ability to sort effectively determine the technical and economic feasibility of developing a geothermal DHC system as well as the environmental benefits to be derived from the reduction in air emissions that can result from the replacement of existing fossil fuel fired systems.