Comparison and integration of simulation models for horizontal connection pipes in geothermal bore fields

The heat transfer along horizontal connection pipes in geothermal bore fields can have significant effects and should not be neglected. As practical and design-related applications require simple and efficient models, we investigate suitability of different models for the first time within this context. Three ground and three pipe models of different complexity are studied. All model combinations are coupled with a fixed ground load boundary condition on one side and a borehole heat exchanger (BHE) model on the other side. Models are tested under a variety of realistic conditions to evaluate performance. The investigations show that all investigated pipe models are equally suitable for the application. For the ground models, the horizontal finite line source model and the numerical 2D model produce identical results for homogeneous ground properties. The soil resistance model neglects the temperature accumulation in the ground and thus leads to considerable deviations and should be avoided. Based on the findings, we propose a computationally efficient approach using a novel combination of established simple steady-state models for the BHE and connection pipes. In the selected example scenario, the consideration of a 30 m connection pipe attached to the BHE leads to an increase in the BHE load by 40% for the heating case and a reduction in the BHE load by 5% for the cooling case.