How Does Geothermal Heating Work – A Article That Describes Geothermal Energy
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 within the Earth’s surface to heat or cool a house.
Geothermal heat refers to heat retained inside 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 employed as an alternative power source for heating houses and household appliances.
Geothermal Heating
Geothermal heating is a new technology implemented for clearing up the worldwide energy crisis. It gets use out of geothermal energy for heating or cooling applications. As of now, it has succeeded in providing more than 0.07 percent of the international energy consumption. In a geothermal heating system, the heat power 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 warm up a building without 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 parts. In this heating system, there are 3 primary 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 possibility of geothermal heat in the particular area.
How does a ground source heat pump work
The pipes of the ground loop are connected 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 warmed up naturally due to geothermal heating within 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 hotter months, this will 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 appropriately. 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 working of geothermal heating system consumes some amount of energy. Nevertheless, it is extremely inexpensive 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 replaceable and ecologically friendly. It is replenish-able since heat encircled inside the Earth’s surface can be used for both heating or cooling purposes. Also, unlike the other traditional heating appliances, operation of geothermal heating system does not emit poisonous gases or pollutants.
