FEFLOW - A new efficient modelling procedure for ground heat exchanger arrays

ESI Ltd. is delighted to be able to offer FEFLOW; a new efficient procedure for modelling closed loop vertical heat exchanger arrays.

ESI is a leading specialist consultancy providing modelling services, technologies, training and support for ground source heating and cooling system design and troubleshooting, and is appointed reseller and support centre for FEFLOW and other codes developed by DHI-WASY.

Previously, borehole heat exchangers in FEFLOW were either simulated in a fully-discretised way, leading to very detailed, but huge models, or only considering the net heat abstraction/injection via boundary conditions. While in the first case the simulation of larger arrays of heat exchangers is not feasible due to model complexity and prohibitive computation times, the latter option might for example be oversimplifying the short-term processes when heat exchangers are run with changing input temperatures. With the new heat exchanger simulation option, heat transport in borehole heat exchangers can be simulated by a special 1-D element, calculating the heat transport in the pipes (u-shape, double-u-shape, or coaxial) and the transfer of heat via the grout into the surrounding subsurface environment.

The new feature extends FEFLOW’s boundary conditions for heat pipes and is undertaken through the new BHE dialogue.

http://www.esinternational.com/images//heatexchangerscreenshot.jpg

FEFLOW 5.4 - new graphical and scientific features and improvements:

Borehole heat exchanger simulation
Anisotropy of the heat conductivity
SAMG as standard solver
Spline interpolation for parametric relationships in unsaturated flow
Parameter zones in FEFLOW Explorer
Elemental reference distribution for porosity values used for isochrone calculation
Output (simulation) times in different units
Pressure is available as a variable in the viscosity editor
Improved parallelisation
Graphic-less batch mode
Alternative search algorithm with spatial indexing
New IFM functions

More Information on FEFLOW:

	Please click here to read a recently presented poster on a new procedure for modelling the interaction between ground heat exchangers and the groundwater.
	Please click here to read about using FEFLOW for geothermal applications.
	Please click here for more information about FEFLOW software.
	Please click here to purchase FEFLOW software.
	Please click here for 'Hands On' FEFLOW training courses.

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