Feb 05 2010
How Does Geothermal Heating Work - A Article That Explains Green Energy
How does a geothermal heating system work
Though geothermal heating has been suggested as a potential technology to solve the world energy crisis, many folks aren’t aware as to how does geothermal heating system work. In this heating system, air is circulated from inside the Earth’s surface to heat or cool a place.
Geothermal heat refers to heat kept inside the Earth’s surface. The term geothermal comes from the Greek words, geo for Earth and thermos for heat. As per evidences, heat energy in the deep underground results from the rot of radioactive particles and assimilation of solar heat. The average temperature of geothermal heat is 50 - seventy degrees Fahrenheit. This geothermal energy can be employed as an alternative energy source for heating houses and household appliances.
Geothermal Heating
Geothermal heating is a new technology implemented for clearing up the global energy crisis. It gets use from geothermal energy for heating or cooling applications. As of now, it has succeeded in providing more than 0.07 % of the international energy usage. In a geothermal heating system, the heat energy stored inside the Earth’s surface is utilized for heating purposes. It’s also referred to as ground source heat pump. The standard geothermal heating system has the capacity to heat up a building without using other heating appliances. Let’s see in brief how does geothermal heating system work.
Working of Geothermal Heating System
For better knowledge of the working of a geothermal heating system, first let’s discuss about its main parts. In this heating system, there are 3 first parts, specifically, a geothermal heat pump, ground loop system and a distribution system. The geothermal heat pump is installed inside the house or property, while the ground loops or pipes are configured under the Earth’s crust at a particular depth. The depth of the piping depends on the possibility of geothermal heat in the particular area.
How a water source heat pump works
The pipes of the ground loop are hooked up to the geothermal heat pump and the distribution system is configured as specified in the obligation of the user. The heat pump forces a liquid refrigerant or cool water into the pipes of the ground loop, which is then circulated underground. The refrigerant is heated up naturally due to geothermal heating inside the Earth’s surface. The heated water is circulated back to the heat pump that exchanges the heat by using a heat exchanger. This heat exchanger then circulates warm air inside the house via the distribution system.
Speaking about the uses of geothermal heating system in hotter months, this will be operated for cooling a home similar to air conditioners. The working principle of the system is reversed so that heat exchanger now supplies cool air in the house. For setting the desired temperature, an electronic thermostat is configured in the system, which heats or cools the house accordingly . This is in brief an answer to how does a geothermal heating system work.
Since the heat exchanger is operated by using electricity, the working of geothermal heating system consumes some quantity of energy. However, it is terribly inexpensive to use geothermal heating compared to other heating systems. Geothermal heating system is more successful in areas that lie close to the plate tectonic bounds. Over these regions, the heat-laden magma often rises near to the earth’s surface. In such cases, geothermal heating can be effectively used for heating water.
One of the major advantages of geothermal heating is that it is replaceable and ecologically friendly. It is replenish-able since heat trapped inside the Earth’s surface may be employed for both heating or cooling purposes. Also, unlike the other typical heating appliances, operation of geothermal heating system doesn’t emit poisonous gases or contaminants.
