Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium to locate a qualified installer in your area
Apparatus for use in a well in order to pump a source of underground water to the earth's surface utilizing the thermal energy of a source of geothermal fluid, comprising:
first conduit means, disposed in said well, for conveying said underground water and a relatively small amount of said geothermal fluid to the earth's surface,
second conduit means, disposed within said first conduit means, having a heat transfer section for pressurizing and for conveying a working fluid therethrough in heat transfer relation with said source of geothermal fluid,
pump means disposed in said well and operatively coupled to said first conduit means for pumping the underground water and the relatively small amount of geothermal fluid to the earth's surface,
motive means operatively coupled to said pump means and responsive to said heated and pressurized working fluid in said second conduit for driving said pump means, and
means for condensing the working fluid exhausted from said motive means and for reinjecting the working fluid into said second conduit means.
Geothermal heat pumps were developed in the 1940s and rely on the temperature of the earth for heating and cooling buildings. They are more advantageous than air to water heat pump in every way, and produce a constant temperature that ranges from 45 to 75 degrees F, depending on the latitude.
In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a cost effective energy efficient method and apparatus for pumping deep well water is described.
Specifically, the apparatus of this invention is directed to geothermal pumping apparatus comprising conduit means for conveying a working fluid to a first level or stratum of a first fluid for heat exchange relation with said first fluid, wherein said working fluid is heated, motive means operatively coupled to said conduit means and responsive to said heated working fluid and pump means operatively coupled to said motive means and disposed within or above a second level or stratum of a second fluid for pumping the second fluid together with a small amount of the first fluid to a third level, i.e., generally the earth's surface.
More specifically, the preferred embodiment of this invention includes a first conduit extending deep within the earth passing through a stratum of underground irrigation water, having a generally undefined top water surface and a generally undefined bottom water surface. The first conduit, moreover, extends to a deeper level or stratum of underground water, generally a geothermal source of fluid at a generally elevated temperature above that of the irrigation water. Heat Pump Extending within the first conduit is a second conduit for conveying a working fluid therethrough into heat transfer relation with said source of geothermal fluid within the second level. The second conduit may include a plurality of tube bundles for efficiently transferring the geothermal energy of the second fluid to the working fluid. The second conduit is operatively coupled to a turbine motor responsive to the heated working fluid, which is heated in the heat exchange tube bundle and pressurized due to the head of fluid from above.
The heated working fluid is then conveyed to the turbine motor which is operatively coupled to a pump disposed within the second level. The first conduit includes openings to allow the first source of fluid or the irrigation water to enter and fill the conduit within its level and associated openings to allow the hot geothermal fluid to fill the conduit within its level. The pump, operatively coupled to the turbine motor, pumps the first source of irrigation water and a small percentage of the heated geothermal fluid upwardly through the first conduit to the surface. An additional conduit is operatively coupled to the outlet of the turbine motor for conveying the spent working fluid upwardly to the surface wherein it is condensed partially within the additional conduit due to the cool irrigation fluid surrounding the additional conduit and completely condensed upon return to the surface by means of, for example, the pump irrigation water. The condensed working fluid may then be reinjected into the second conduit for heat exchange relation with said geothermal fluid.
Contract with a qualified installer to put in your geothermal heat pump . This is not a do-it-yourself project, and trying will cause a lot of headaches that could easily have been avoided. Contact the Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium to locate a qualified installer in your area, and be sure to check for references in order to assure your satisfaction (see Resources below).
Evaluate your property. Your geothermal heat pump installation will depend a lot on what type of soil makes up your property, which will determine how much tubing to run and the best orientation for the geothermal ground loop. Most installers will help you evaluate your property and figure out what kind of geothermal heat pump manufacturer will work best in your building.
source:townhall|heat pump

Options 1-6:
This project has demonstrated that a low energy, low cost element
(prefabricated) house can be built without compromising the comfort.
Similar 2-storey houses exist on this housing estate, which is about
508 m above the sea level.