The UK government’s Carbon Plan-2011 aims for 80% carbon emission reduction by 2050, and the 2009 UK National Renewable Energy Action Plan has set a target of delivering 15% of total energy demand by renewable energy sources by 2020. Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) systems can play a critical role in reaching these goals within the building sector. Achieving such benefits relies on proper design, integration, installation, commissioning, and operation of these systems. This work seeks to provide evidence to improve the practices in design, installation and operations of large GSHP systems. This evidence has been based on collection and analysis of data from an operational large-scale GSHP system providing heating and cooling to a university building. The data set is of significance in that it is collected from a large-scale system incorporating fifty-six borehole heat exchangers and four heat pumps. The data has been collected at high frequency since the start of operation and for a period of three years. The borehole heat exchanger data is intended to form a reference data set for use by other workers in model validation studies. The ground thermal properties at the site have been estimated using a novel combination of numerical model and parameter estimation methods. The utility of the reference data set has been demonstrated through application in a validation study of a numerical borehole heat exchanger model. The system heat balances and power consumption data have firstly been analysed to derive a range of performance metrics such as Seasonal Performance Factors. Analysis has been carried out at the system and individual heat pump level. Annual performance has been found satisfactory overall. A series of analyses have been carried out to investigate the roles of circulating pump energy, control system operation and dynamic behaviour. Monitoring data from one of the heat pumps has also been analysed in further detail to make comparisons with manufacturer’s steady-state performance data and with consideration to variations in fluid properties. Some modest degradation from stated performance has been identified. The most significant operational factors accounting for degradation of overall system performance have been excessive pump energy demands and short cycling behaviour. Some faults in operation of the system during the monitoring period have also been identified. A series of recommendations are made as to ways to improve the design and operation of large-scale GSHP systems based on this evidence. These recommendations are chiefly concerned with better design for part-load operation, reduction in pump energy demands and more robust control systems.

[ES] Uno de los mayores retos para el mercado de bombas de calor geotérmicas es el alto coste asociado a la perforación de los intercambiadores de calor geotérmicos. Conseguir unos intercambiadores de calor geotérmicos más eficientes reduciría dicho coste, ya que sería necesaria una menor longitud de intercambiador para obtener las mismas temperaturas de trabajo en él (misma eficiencia de la bomba de calor). La eficiencia térmica de un intercambiador de calor geotérmico está caracterizada por su resistencia térmica. Dicha resistencia térmica depende de una serie de elementos entre los que se encuentran: propiedades y caudal del fluido que recorre el intercambiador de calor, diámetro de la perforación geotérmica, geometría y materiales de la tubería del intercambiador de calor y las propiedades del material de relleno de la perforación (grouting). Cuanto mayor sea la resistencia térmica del intercambiador de calor, menor será el calor transferido entre el fluido caloportador y el terreno, traduciéndose en una necesidad mayor de longitud de intercambiador enterrado. Por lo tanto, es necesario una reducción de este parámetro al mínimo posible. En consecuencia, el objetivo principal de esta tesis doctoral consiste en, a partir de un modelo analítico comprensivo de cuantificación del impacto de los parámetros anteriores, realizar un estudio detallado para analizar su influencia combinada en la resistencia térmica del intercambiador geotérmico, pero también examinando dicho efecto en otros planos, como costes económicos de ejecución del intercambiador y de explotación (consumo eléctrico de la bomba de calor y costes de bombeo asociados). / [CA] Un dels majors reptes per al mercat de bombes de calor geotèrmiques és l'alt cost associat a la perforació dels bescanviadors de calor geotèrmics. Aconseguir uns bescanviadors de calor geotèrmics més eficients reduiria aquest cost, ja que seria necessària una menor longitud de bescanviador per a obtenir les mateixes temperatures de treball en ell (mateixa eficiència de la bomba de calor). L'eficiència tèrmica d'un bescanviador de calor geotèrmic està caracteritzada per la seva resistència tèrmica. Aquesta resistència tèrmica depèn d'una sèrie d'elements entre els quals es troben: propietats i cabal del fluid que recorre el bescanviador de calor, diàmetre de la perforació geotèrmica, geometria i materials de la canonada del bescanviador de calor i les propietats del material de farciment de la perforació (grouting). Com més gran sigui la resistència tèrmica del bescanviador de calor, menor serà la calor transferida entre el fluid termòfor i el terreny, traduint-se en una necessitat major de longitud de bescanviador enterrat. Per tant, és necessari una reducció d'aquest paràmetre al mínim possible. En conseqüència, l'objectiu principal d'aquesta Tesi Doctoral consisteix en, a partir d'un model analític comprensiu de quantificació de l'impacte dels paràmetres anteriors, realitzar un estudi detallat per a analitzar la seva influència combinada en la resistència tèrmica del bescanviador geotèrmic, però també examinant aquest efecte en altres plans, com a costos econòmics d'execució del bescanviador i d'explotació (consum elèctric de la bomba de calor i costos de bombament). / [EN] One of the biggest challenges for the ground source heat pump market is the high cost associated with drilling geothermal borehole heat exchangers. Achieving more efficient geothermal heat exchangers would reduce this cost, since a shorter exchanger length would be required to obtain the same working temperatures in it (same efficiency of the heat pump). The thermal efficiency of a geothermal heat exchanger is characterized by its borehole thermal resistance. This borehole thermal resistance depends on a number of parameters, mainly: properties and flow rate of the working fluid that flows through the borehole heat exchanger, diameter of the geothermal borehole, geometry and materials of the heat exchanger pipe and the properties of the borehole grouting material. The higher thermal resistance of the heat exchanger, the less heat is transferred between the heat carrier fluid and the ground, resulting in an increased requirement for the length of the buried heat exchanger. Consequently, it is essential to reduce this parameter to the minimum possible. Therefore, the main objective of this Ph. Doctoral Thesis is to carry out, based on a comprehensive analytical model of quantification of the impact of the above mentioned parameters, a detailed study to analyze their combined influence on the thermal resistance of the geothermal borehole, but also exploring this effect in other less researched areas, such as economic costs of running the exchanger and operating it (electricity consumption of the heat pump and associated pumping costs). / This research has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program under grant agreement No [657982], [727583] and [792355]. / Badenes Badenes, B. (2020). Optimización teórico-experimental de sondas de calor para intercambio geotérmico (SGE) según condiciones hidrogeológicas, características geométricas y propiedades de sus materiales [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/160477 / TESIS