| | Category | EA | P08 | Which Setup Maximizes Geothermal Heating and Cooling? |
| | Abstract | This experiment tested which setup of a geothermal heating and cooling |
| | system maximizes the effectiveness of that system. A geothermal heating |
| | and cooling system accesses the renewable resource of the Earth as the |
| | constant production of thermal energy being produced inside the Earth is |
| | tapped to heat or cool buildings to a near constant year round temperature. |
| | This heating and cooling system is extremely cost effective over a long |
| | period of time and this experiment can discover which setup maximizes |
| | the system’s effectiveness as a heating and cooling system to add to the |
| | already high cost effectiveness. |
| | This experiment was conducted by creating a device to simulate the |
| | conditions of a geothermal heating and cooling system which works by |
| | running a liquid through piping that uses the soil as a heat source or a heat |
| | sink. This device was used to test the effectiveness of four different soil |
| | types with varying sediment sizes which were clay, sand, fine gravel, and |
| | coarse gravel. The device was also used to test the effectiveness of |
| | three tubing sizes which were 2.54cm, 3.175cm, and 3.81cm in diameter. |
| | These variables were tested in four different environments, each with a |
| | different temperature, for twenty minutes and the change in water |
| | temperature as well as the change in soil temperature was calculated. The |
| | hypothesis was if the rate of temperature change of 60 mL of distilled |
| | water is tested in different tubing sizes and different soil types in four |
| | different environments, then the 2.54 cm tubing and clay will be the size of |
| | tubing and type of soil that maximizes the effectiveness of a geothermal |
| | heating and cooling system will be found. |
| | After conducting this experiment, the results do not support the hypothesis |
| | completely as the clay soil was the most effective soil type however the |
| | 3.81cm tubing was the most effective. These results can show a setup |
| | that will make an already cost effective heating and cooling system |
| | perform at a higher level functionally. |
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| | Resources. Web. 03 Jan. 2010. |
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| | 2010. <http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=geothermal_home- |
| | basics>. |
| | "Energy Savers: Geothermal Heat Pumps." EERE: Energy Savers Home |
| | Page. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. |
| | <http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index. |
| | cfm/mytopic=12640>. |
| | "Energy Tips - Geothermal Heating and Cooling." MSUE Portal. Web. 29 |
| | Nov. 2009. |
| | <http://www.msue.msu.edu/objects/content_revision/download.cfm/revisi |
| | on_id.510910/workspace_id.-4/geothermal.html>. |
| | "Geothermal Heat Pumps." Consumer Energy Center - Information for the |
| | consumer about Saving Energy from the California Energy Commission. |
| | Web. 29 Nov. 2009. |