Machinery and Process Cooling with Geo-HEP
Absorb
process heat and exchange energy with the ground.
Machinery and Process Cooling with Geo-HEP
Absorb process heat, transfer it to the ground, and return the cooled medium to the system.
Machines, production facilities, and technical processes often generate heat over many hours of operation. Reliably dissipating this heat is crucial for stable processes and maintaining defined operating temperatures—and can also account for a significant portion of energy consumption.
Geo-HEP uses the ground as a natural heat sink. Heat from a machine or process is transported via a closed heat transfer circuit to the high-performance energy piles, where it is absorbed and then dissipated into the surrounding ground.
Under suitable conditions, heat dissipation can occur largely passively. A conventional refrigeration machine or a continuously operating compressor is then not required for this part of the cooling process.
When Process Cooling Becomes a Constant Energy Drain
Geo-HEP is particularly useful for industrial applications in which heat is generated continuously or at regular intervals over many operating hours.
Typical areas of application include, for example:
- Machine and process cooling
- Printing and production machinery
- Machining and manufacturing equipment
- Technical systems with continuous waste heat
- Production and factory facilities with increased cooling requirements
The maximum cooling capacity is not the only decisive factor here. The required temperature level, the annual operating hours, and the temporal variation of thermal loads also determine how the system must be designed.
How Passive Process Cooling Works
In cooling mode, the circulating heat transfer fluid absorbs heat from the machine or technical process and transports it to the Geo-HEP system.
In the high-performance energy pile, the heat is first transferred via the heat transfer system to the integrated thermal storage mass. The water mass in the pile can buffer thermal load peaks before the heat is released into the ground through the pile wall.
The heat transfer fluid then returns to the application in a cooled state and is ready to absorb heat again.
Buffer thermal load peaks within the system
Production processes do not always operate at a constant thermal output. Start-up procedures, changing production phases, or varying operating times can cause higher thermal loads for short periods.The thermal storage mass integrated into the high-performance energy pile—preferably about 43 m³ of water—can absorb and buffer such short-term thermal loads. It is thus an integral part of the HEP’s heat transfer and buffering system.This function should be distinguished from targeted, long-term seasonal storage.
Integrate or supplement existing cooling systems
Geo-HEP can be evaluated both for new system designs and as part of the modernization of existing heating and cooling systems.In doing so, the existing technology is not considered in isolation. For meaningful integration, factors such as system hydraulics, heat transfer, required temperatures, operating hours, and technical interfaces must be taken into account.The optimal solution is achieved by tailoring the Geo-HEP system to the actual process, rather than by following a fixed, standard template.
Low Electrical Power Consumption with Passive Cooling
If the required cooling temperatures and site conditions allow for passive cooling, electrical energy is primarily needed for the circulation pumps and the measurement, control, and regulation systems.Especially when annual operating hours are high,this can be an important approach to reducing energy consumption and ongoing cooling costs.The actual savings compared to an existing refrigeration system are calculated individually for each project.
Geology and groundwater affect cooling performance
The performance of the Geo-HEP system depends largely on the geological and hydrogeological conditions at the site.Groundwater with particularly high flow rates can aid in heat dissipation. It transports the heat injected into the subsurface, thereby promoting thermal regeneration around the high-performance energy piles.The groundwater itself is not pumped and is not part of the system’s circuit. Geo-HEP operates as a closed heat exchange system.
Evaluate Cost-Effectiveness on a Project-by-Project Basis
The economic evaluation takes into account, among other factors, current energy consumption, annual operating hours, maintenance and repair costs, the required cooling capacity, pump energy, investment costs, and potential subsidies.
Making blanket promises about savings is not helpful in this context. What matters most is a comparison with the cooling technology that is actually in place or planned at the respective location.
Is Geo-HEP suitable for your machine or process?
An initial technical assessment can be conducted based on the cooling requirements, the required temperatures, the operating hours, the existing plant infrastructure, and the site conditions.
Based on this data, it is possible to determine whether passive cooling is a viable option in principle and how a project-specific Geo-HEP system could be sized.