Geothermal Engineering Services

Load Profile Calculations

Accurate load profile calculations are the building blocks of comprehensive geothermal design. More often than not, engineers tend to be conservative in their load's profile analysis which then results in oversized loads. This in turn makes the entire design and deployment of the geothermal product expensive. Therefore, we believe that it is extremely important to calculate accurate loads of profiles that take into account internal gains and building diversity.

At FWS, we believe in modeling temperature changes accurately which is essential in designing stable geothermal heat exchanger systems.

Heat Flow Calculations for Balanced Deployment

As and when geothermal fluids rise towards the earth's surface, it transfers heat to the surrounding soil and rocks. As a result, by the time it reaches the surface it has usually cooled down to some extent, sometimes even matching the surface temperature of the surrounding area. This heat loss, unless calculated properly, can render your geothermal setup ineffective.

At FWS, we ensure proper heat flow calculations are made for you to comprehensively plan for an adequate loop field that retains the heat and prohibits excessive conductive heat transfer.

Soil and Ground Water Presence Evaluation

As your chosen geothermal engineering service providing company, we aim to specify and quantify the exact geological and hydrological characteristics of the land to create the best design for the ground loop in your site. Several ground factors such as soil composition and other nascent properties can affect heat transfer rates. The presence of rocks is also a hindrance in the same and therefore requires careful consideration. Soil with better heat transfer properties requires a smaller loop-field. The amount of soil available contributes to efficient geothermal system design as well, as it helps us to choose between horizontal or vertical loop fields.

We also help to check for groundwater availability before deciding what type of loop to implement. Since this depends on several different factors such as depth, volume, and overall water quality we can help determine whether surface water bodies can be used as your source of water for an open-loop system, etc. Since groundwater is essential for open-loop systems, we also help to check the suitability of the water quality and whether all water discharge regulations are being met while construction proceeds.

Loop-field Sizing and Site Layout

The entire process of sizing a geothermal energy source is extremely complex. Therefore all the factors which go into determining its site layout must be accurately tested. One of the most important factors in sizing a geothermal source is based on the total heat gained and lost. Therefore, when piping is laid out for the same, careful considerations need to be made to calculate this piping, also known as the loop field. The size of a loop field depends on variables such as the size of the equipment, the type of soil, and surrounding climactic conditions.

The larger your geothermal equipment, the larger the loop field has to be. Complications arise at this point since a larger loop field means you need to drill deeper, ensuring the field remains longer, and the transfer pipes must be installed in further apart loops so that more heat can move from the bottom to the ground. Our geothermal analysts help to perform an overall analysis of the heating and cooling demands of your property and then work backward while ensuring all variables are checked to calculate the correct size of the system. With our help, you never run the risk of utilizing over-sized or under-sized systems. This in turn means cost savings and a better lifespan for all your geothermal equipment.

Energy Savings Calculations for Multiple Geothermal Designs

Geothermal energy is extremely similar to a sterling engine in the way it remains a perpetual heat engine. As a result, they are extremely efficient and can't be beaten by other similar sources easily. In fact, in certain cases, geothermal average efficiency can go up to 100% too when utilized properly. This is because geothermal heat pumps can move 5X the heat energy as compared to electric energy.

Our geothermal analysts can help you calculate the energy savings delivered by multiple geothermal designs, allowing you to choose one which suits your exact requirements.

Thermal Conductivity Testing and Analysis

Measuring thermal conductivity is an extremely important quantitative technique for calculating the essential thermal properties. This in turn is necessary for designing efficient heat pump systems that account for all variables concerning the geothermal energy at hand. Armed with the correct equipment and state-of-art data analysis tools, we can perform comprehensive TC/TRT tests that provide invaluable information which in turn helps us design a geothermal loop field.

Direct Exchange Geothermal Systems

We design these systems to exchange heat with multiple refrigerant lines that lie in direct contact with the ground or groundwater. While one of the oldest types of geothermal systems, they remain extremely popular because they have higher energy efficiency and lower installation costs as compared to most other geothermal installations. We design these systems while ensuring they never remain susceptible to leakages from refrigerants and prevent pipe corrosion. This system also ensures there are no groundwater leaks, allowing you to stay within regulations.

Closed-Loop Geothermal Systems

Here we leverage available water to exchange heat between the refrigerant line and the underground. We design the system to circulate water through a series of underground loops before returning to the heat pump, thereby releasing or gathering heat based upon specifications as per the client's needs. Our closed-loop systems leverage a mix of water and antifreeze while ensuring every check is made to confirm zero leaks to avoid groundwater contamination.

Open Loop Geothermal Systems

As per our client's requirements, we also offer geothermal engineering services where water is used to exchange heat. We ensure the design pumps groundwater back into the heat pump. We offer this design only in complicated cases where groundwater cannot be treated easily before circulating while using the heat pump. However, such open-loop geothermal systems are extremely common when groundwater conditions are accessible and suitable for development. If the property you want to install it in has a large amount of surface groundwater this becomes a viable solution.