Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Publication
    Geothermal energy in small countries - laying the foundations for innovative development
    (World Federation of Engineering Organizations, 2011-09-04) ;
    Creation of an environment in which shallow geothermal energy can thrive will require a coherent approach and a high level of collaboration with professionals from countries that have developed technical expertise in the area. Implementation of regulations, standards and guidelines adapted from best practice in countries such as Switzerland, Germany and Sweden, in addition to understanding the mistakes and successes made by these countries, with respect to the development of their geothermal industries, will help small countries such as Ireland to develop a well-regulated market for the technology. This paper outlines and addresses some of the technical, regulatory and certification issues faced particularly by small countries in their efforts to develop a shallow geothermal energy industry, provides examples of best practice with regard to development in countries with established geothermal energy industries and presents proposed solutions to these issues / barriers using the existing situation in Ireland by way of example.
      822
  • Publication
    Energy Foundations - Potential for Ireland
    (American Society of Civil Engineers, 2011-03) ;
    With one of the highest energy dependencies in the European Union, Ireland must adapt quickly to renewable energy technologies or risk paying the penalty in the form of high energy prices in years to come. Escalating energy costs have led to a renewed interest in alternative energy technologies and ground source energy is one such resource which is being increasingly considered. This paper presents some of the practical considerations of energy foundations, evidenced from the installation of a number of test energy piles. In addition, a preliminary feasibility study of an energy foundation system for a planned university administrative building and an overview of the current status of ground source energy technology in Ireland are presented. Building heating and cooling loads are estimated based on high building energy standards which the university hopes to implement in all building projects going forward. The proposed energy foundation system is shown to have the capacity to provide the heating and cooling base loads for the building
      1464Scopus© Citations 4
  • Publication
    Design and development of a low-cost thermal response rig
    (Institution of Civil Engineers, 2012-08-01) ;
    A thermal response test (TRT) is a controlled insitu test during which a known quantity of heat energy is injected into a closed loop heat-exchanger pipe while the heat dissipation rate into the surrounding ground is monitored. Results from a test can be interpreted to determine a number of ground thermal parameters with are vital design requirements for any medium to large scale ground source energy system. This paper describes the design and construction of a low cost TRT rig and compares the results obtained from a test using the constructed rig and a commercially built rig in order to evaluate the accuracy of the constructed equipment. The TRT rig is designed in accordance with the following principles: keep construction costs low, improve the cost-efficiency of TRT testing by incorporating remote data transmission capability and ensure attainment of sufficient accuracy to satisfy the design requirements of ground source energy systems. Analysis of data collected by the TRT rigs result in a calculated thermal conductivity of 1.9 W/mK in both cases. This value falls within the range expected for the tested geological formation and confirms the accuracy of both test rigs.
      2066Scopus© Citations 5