Description
The Computer Controlled Geothermal (Low Enthalpy) Energy Unit, “EG5C,” designed by EDIBON, simulates geothermal energy systems for both heating and cooling applications. It consists of several components that work together to mimic the behavior of the earth’s natural energy transfer processes.
Key Features and Components:
- Cooling Circuit: The unit includes a compressor, air condenser/evaporator, and two water condensers/evaporators. A four-way valve is used to detect the environmental conditions, determining whether it is winter or summer. Based on this, the valve directs the refrigerant gas to the appropriate exchanger (either the air or water condenser/evaporator), which alternates between heating and cooling functions.
- Ground Simulation: The unit simulates the earth’s temperature by using a small tank filled with water. The temperature of this water is kept constant, representing the temperature of the ground at a depth of 20 meters (around 15ºC or 59ºF). The water from this tank flows through a bath, either heating or cooling the water that circulates through pipes immersed in the bath.
- Sanitary Hot Water Tank: There is a separate tank where the water heated by the system is stored, simulating sanitary hot water for a home.
- Cycle Inversion Valve: The system includes a cycle inversion valve that allows it to switch between winter and summer modes. In winter, the ground’s temperature (15ºC) is higher than the environmental temperature, so the ground is used for heating. In summer, the environmental temperature exceeds 15ºC, so the ground’s water is used for cooling.
- Control and Monitoring: The unit is fully integrated with the EDIBON Computer Control System (SCADA). This includes the unit itself, a control interface box, a data acquisition board, and specialized software for controlling the process, monitoring parameters, and managing data.
By using the EG5C system, users can simulate both heating and cooling cycles based on varying environmental conditions, making it a useful educational tool for understanding geothermal energy principles.
