A Novel Coaxial Borehole Heat Exchanger: Description and First Distributed Thermal Response Test Measurements

Abstract

The thermal performance of a Borehole Heat Exchanger plays a significant role when defining the quality of heat exchange with the ground in Ground Source Heat Pumps. Different designs have been discussed and increased interest on innovation within this field has taken place during the last years. This paper presents the first measurement results from a 189 meters deep novel coaxial Borehole Heat Exchanger, consisting of an inner central pipe and an annular channel in direct contact with the surrounding bedrock. The measurements were taken during a distributed thermal response test using fiber optic cables installed in the energy well. Fluid temperature every ten meters along the borehole depth are presented and compared with similar measurements from a common U-pipe heat exchanger. A unique measurement of the borehole wall temperature in the coaxial collector illustrates how effective the heat transfer performance is through the annular channel.