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Loop Design

Last Post 12 Dec 2009 08:02 AM by Alex_in_FL. 25 Replies.

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ANGELofDEBT User is Offline

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02 Dec 2009 09:59 AM
Posted By joe.ami on 12/01/2009 9:03 AM Posted By ANGELofDEBT on 12/01/2009 7:34 AM I guess my concern was with the normal pipe layout and the fact that the out and return pipes were "close" to each other. Being that the pipes were 4' apart I wasn't sure if that was enough distance so as to cause efficiency loss. If proximity (in your drawing) caused efficiency loss, both systems would be impacted equally. Putting loops farther apart improves efficiency, but in geo all things are diminishing returns. If you were going to have an operator spend extra time seperating your loops, you may not appreciate a significant ROI for the expense. J By the pipes being close to each other my concern was on a convential loop you have 4' separation. So at the end part of the loop one pipe will be EWT and the other will be LWT. This could be as much as 20 degrees difference. I see that as a possibility of loss of efficiency. The only issue I don't know is what sort of temperature gradient the ground has next to the pipe.

Palace Geothermal User is Offline

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02 Dec 2009 09:56 PM
Posted By ANGELofDEBT on 12/02/2009 9:59 AM ......This could be as much as 20 degrees difference....... Not sure how this would ever happen.

Dewayne Dean <br>www.PalaceGeothermal.com<br>Why settle for 90% when you can have 400%<br>We heat and cool with dirt!<br>visit- http://welserver.com/WEL0114/- to see my system

joe.ami

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02 Dec 2009 10:55 PM
seperation and impact are static. distance may change it, but not direction of flow. j

Joe Hardin www.amicontracting.com We Dig Comfort! www.doityourselfgeothermal.com Dig Your Own Comfort!

ANGELofDEBT User is Offline

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04 Dec 2009 08:48 AM
Posted By geodean on 12/02/2009 9:56 PM Posted By ANGELofDEBT on 12/02/2009 9:59 AM ......This could be as much as 20 degrees difference....... [/quote]Not sure how this would ever happen. Sorry my understanding was that the difference between EWT and LWT are in the range of 20 degrees. If it is less then that would reduce my concern. What is the design delta T between EWT and LWT?

joe.ami

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04 Dec 2009 10:39 PM
<10

Joe Hardin www.amicontracting.com We Dig Comfort! www.doityourselfgeothermal.com Dig Your Own Comfort!

Alex_in_FL User is Offline

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12 Dec 2009 08:02 AM
Your idea will be a smidgen more efficient. The reason is that you are adding an additional 10 feet of heat exchange area to the end. You don't gain the full 10 feet of efficiency because it will be going between the two existing trenches thus there is some intereference. Thus if you make the other trenches each 5 feet longer they might be the more efficient. I an not sure counterflow in the pipes will actually have an impact because the heat sink is the ground - not the liquid flowing in the other pipe.