How does geothermal heating work
Though geothermal heating has been suggested as a potential technology to resolve the worldwide energy crisis, many people are not 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 appertains to heat retained within the Earth’s surface. The term geothermal springs from the Greek words, geo for Earth and thermos for heat. As per evidences, heat energy in the deep underground results from the decay of radioactive particles and absorption of solar heat. The average temperature of geothermal heat is fifty – 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This geothermal energy can be used as an alternative energy source for heating houses and household gadgets.
Geothermal Heating
Geothermal heating is an sophisticated leading edge technology implemented for clearing up the global energy crisis. It makes use of geothermal energy for cooling or heating applications. As of now, it has succeeded in providing more than 0.07 p.c of the global energy consumption. In a geothermal heating system, the heat energy contained inside the Earth’s surface is utilized for heating purposes. It is also referred to as ground source heat pump. A standard geothermal heating system has the capacity to heat up a building without using other heating appliances. Let’s see in a nutshell how does geothermal heating system work.
Working of Geothermal Heating System
For better experience of the working of a geothermal heating system, first let’s discuss about its main elements. 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 within the house or property, while the ground loops or pipes are configured under the Earth’s crust at a specific depth. The depth of the piping depends on the chance 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 by the need 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 trying 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 warmer months, this may be operated for cooling a place like 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 a nutshell an answer to how does a geothermal heating system work.
Since the heat exchanger is operated by using electricity, the overall working of geothermal heating system consumes some amount of energy. However, it is very cheap to use geothermal heating compared to other heating systems. Geothermal heating system is more successful in areas that lie near the plate tectonic limits. Over these regions, the heat-laden magma regularly 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 replenish-able and ecologically friendly. It is replaceable since heat encircled within the Earth’s surface can be used for both heating or cooling purposes. Also, unlike other traditional heating appliances, operation of geothermal heating system does not emit toxic gases or pollutants.
