With the increased costs associated with conventional heating systems, inclusing gas and electricity, it may be wise for pig producers to investigate geothermal energy systems to reduce costs.
Geothermal heating is not new, but its application in large scale commercial systems is starting to become more popular. Its use to both heat systems such as swimming pools or cool commercial properties has been adopted by many recent projects.
Intensive animal systems that use gas and other energy sources to heat water or control environments may be able to benefits from such systems.
How the Geothermal Heat Pump Works in the Heating Mode
In the heating mode, the refrigerant enters the earth loops as a cold liquid (blue in the graphic) and comes out as a cool vapour. When a refrigerant evaporates it absorbs a large quantity of heat from any surrounding material. Therefore as the refrigerant flows through the loops, it absorbs heat from the earth and stores it in vapour form for later release. The cool vapour that is heat-charged after leaving the earth loops then enters the compressor where its temperature is raised from about 40o F to about 160o F. During this compression stage, the temperature of the vapour increases because of the intense compression and the vapour leaves the compressor hotter than the air in the building being heated.
Because the vapour leaving the compressor and entering the condenser is hotter than the inside air, heat flows into the air flow from the vapour as the air passes the blower. This warms your home.
As the heat is removed while the hot vapour passes through the condenser, the vapour condenses more and more until it exits the condenser as a liquid. This warm liquid enters the flow control unit, which monitors the amount of vapour arriving at the liquid flow control (LFC), and meters liquid only through the device for its return to the earth loop field.
How the Geothermal Heat Pump Works in the Cooling Mode
In the cooling mode, cool vapour arrives at the compressor after absorbing heat from the air in the building. The compressor compresses the cool vapour into a smaller volume, increasing its heat density.
The refrigerant exits the compressor as a hot vapour which then goes into the earth loop field. The loops act as a condenser condensing the vapour until it is virtually all liquid. The refrigerant leaves the earth loops as a warm liquid.
The flow control regulates the flow from the condenser such that only liquid refrigerant passes through the control. The refrigerant expands as it exits the flow control unit and becomes a cold liquid. Because the liquid evaporates as it passes through the cooling coil located in the air handler, it absorbs heat from the air blowing over the coil surface and thus cools your home.
Companies such as energycore provide such systems.
To investigate geothermal systems in more detail, click on the following links.
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