| Title | Direct Geoexchange Cooling for the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder |
|---|---|
| Authors | Payne, Hampson, Kiraly, Davis |
| Year | 2009 |
| Conference | Australian Geothermal Energy Conference |
| Keywords | Direct Geoexchange, Direct Use, Geothermal Heat Pump |
| Abstract | Direct Geoexhange Heat Pumps (DGHPs) provide chilling via refrigerant-carrying copper loops buried in the ground which act as a condenser and achieve higher efficiency than equivalent air source heat pumps because of the ground’s constant heat capacity. DGHPs are particularly suited to desert environments with more extreme ambient temperatures. The Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope will be an array of 36 x 12-m diameter parabolic dish antennae situated in the WA desert each requiring 5 – 7 kWth cooling for computer equipment. A direct geoexchange system installed at the CSIRO facility in Marsfield, NSW provides chilling to prototype equipment via a 160 L water buffer. Preliminary results indicate a Coefficient of Performance (COP) 5 for chilling water to 15 C. We describe the results from this prototype in detail. |