A geothermal system includes an outer vessel having a sidewall that is in contact with surrounding ground material. A geothermal pile is disposed within an interior volume of the outer vessel, wherein a first heat conducting liquid at least partially fills a space between an inner surface of the sidewall of the outer vessel and an outer surface of the geothermal pile when in an installed condition. A conduit disposed within an interior space of the geothermal pile conducts a second heat conducting liquid along a flow path within the geothermal pile toward a bottom end thereof and then back to an outlet at a top end thereof. During operation, heat is transferred from the surrounding ground to the second heat conducting liquid via the first heat conducting liquid within the space between the inner surface of the sidewall of the outer vessel and the outer surface of the geothermal pile.

A geothermal system includes an outer vessel having a sidewall that is in contact with surrounding ground material. A geothermal pile is disposed within an interior volume of the outer vessel, wherein a first heat conducting liquid at least partially fills a space between an inner surface of the sidewall of the outer vessel and an outer surface of the geothermal pile when in an installed condition. A conduit disposed within an interior space of the geothermal pile conducts a second heat conducting liquid along a flow path within the geothermal pile toward a bottom end thereof and then back to an outlet at a top end thereof. During operation, heat is transferred from the surrounding ground to the second heat conducting liquid via the first heat conducting liquid within the space between the inner surface of the sidewall of the outer vessel and the outer surface of the geothermal pile.

A method for collecting a heated fluid from a fractured subterranean formation can include removing a fluid having a liquid phase from the fractured subterranean formation through a wellbore that is in fluidic communication with the fractured subterranean formation. The method can also include collecting from the wellbore the heated fluid having a vapor phase that is expelled from a low permeability rock matrix of the fractured subterranean formation. The method can also optionally include injecting an injection fluid having the liquid phase into the low permeability rock matrix of the fractured subterranean formation through the wellbore when a parameter falls outside a range of acceptable values.

A geothermal process for generating electricity includes: heating a primary fluid by absorbing thermal energy from a geothermal energy source to elevate thermal energy and kinetic energy of the primary fluid; increasing a pressure on the primary fluid to raise a boiling point and a temperature of the primary fluid and decrease latent heat of the primary fluid; driving a mechanical device via one of: the kinetic energy of the primary fluid; and a kinetic energy of a secondary working fluid that absorbs the thermal energy of the primary fluid in a heat exchanger; and driving an electricity generator by the mechanical device to generate electricity. The pressure on the primary fluid may be increased by restricting, a flow path of the primary fluid to create a backpressure, by increasing a density of the primary fluid, or by increasing a pumping pressure of the primary fluid into the geothermal well.

An economical ground heat exchanger system uses water-filled membrane liners in cylindrical augured holes. A submersible pump in a drain reservoir is shared by multiple boreholes. Thermal connection with a building or industrial process occurs through a heat exchanger thermally coupled to the reservoir. The pump sends water tempered by the heat exchanger to the water-filled holes, where it exchanges heat with the ground before overflowing through gravity drain piping back to the reservoir for continued recirculation. Heat transfer with the ground occurs through thermal contact between the water, the membrane liners, and earth supporting the liners. Optional raised borehole support rims maintain an “above grade” water level and allow removed soil to be re-used as a berm or planter over manifold pipes that connect the system components, thus eliminating the cost of trenching for the manifold pipes.

An economical ground heat exchanger system uses water-filled membrane liners in cylindrical augured holes. A submersible pump in a drain reservoir is shared by multiple boreholes. Thermal connection with a building or industrial process occurs through a heat exchanger thermally coupled to the reservoir. The pump sends water tempered by the heat exchanger to the water-filled holes, where it exchanges heat with the ground before overflowing through gravity drain piping back to the reservoir for continued recirculation. Heat transfer with the ground occurs through thermal contact between the water, the membrane liners, and earth supporting the liners. Optional raised borehole support rims maintain an “above grade” water level and allow removed soil to be re-used as a berm or planter over manifold pipes that connect the system components, thus eliminating the cost of trenching for the manifold pipes.

Systems and methods for improved geoheat harvesting enhancements are presented in which a wellbore contains a closed loop geoheat harvesting system that is thermally coupled to a hot and dry rock formation via thermal reach enhancement structures that extend from the wellbore into the formation and that are filled with a thermally conductive filler. Preferred configurations and/or operational parameters are determined by a model that calculates heat flow in a three-dimensional system considering time changes and the influence of the thermal reach enhanced intrinsic thermal conductivity of the rock.

Systems and methods for improved geoheat harvesting enhancements are presented in which a wellbore contains a closed loop geoheat harvesting system that is thermally coupled to a hot and dry rock formation via thermal reach enhancement structures that extend from the wellbore into the formation and that are filled with a thermally conductive filler. Preferred configurations and/or operational parameters are determined by a model that calculates heat flow in a three-dimensional system considering time changes and the influence of the thermal reach enhanced intrinsic thermal conductivity of the rock.

The invention relates to a method for sizing a geothermal well for the thermal regulation of a building, including the steps of: 51: Modelling a geothermal potential of a zone of interest including a subsoil zone comprised within a given perimeter around the building; S2: Estimating the thermal requirements of the building; S3: Generating models of geothermal installations according to the results of 51 and S2, a model of a geothermal installation including one or more geothermal solutions configured to meet the requirements estimated in step S2 according to the zone of interest modelled in step 51; S4: Applying a selection criterion which is configured to determine a preferred model.

Example heating and cooling systems for edge data centers are disclosed herein. A system disclosed herein includes a subterranean vault to be disposed at least partially below ground level an of environment, an edge data center in the subterranean vault, and a geothermal heat pump system to regulate a temperature of ambient air in the subterranean vault.