Quick Search:    advanced search

GSW Home   GeoRef Home   My GSW Alerts   Contact GSW   About GSW   Journals List   Help

Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology & Hydrogeology

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Google Scholar Articles by Banks, D. Articles by Watson, I. GeoRef GeoRef Citation

The operational performance of Scottish minewater-based ground source heat pump systems

¹ Holymoor Consultancy Ltd., 8 Heaton Street, Chesterfield S40 3AQ, UK
² Sir Joseph Swan Institute, Devonshire Building Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
³ Departamento de Enxeñaría Química, Escola Técnica Superior de Enxeñería (ETSE), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Rúa Lope Gómez de Marzoa s/n. Campus Sur, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
⁴ Coal Authority, 200 Lichfield Lane, Mansfield NG18 4RG, UK

Correspondence: ^* Corresponding author (e-mail: david{at}holymoor.co.uk)

Two open-loop, minewater-based, ground source heating schemes have been operating since 1999–2000 in Scotland (UK), at Shettleston (Glasgow) and near Cowdenbeath (Fife). In both cases, ferruginous water is pumped from flooded coal mine workings via a borehole, circulated through the evaporator of the heat pump and reinjected via a shallower borehole to Carboniferous strata. The heat is delivered to a water-based thermal store providing central heating for apartment complexes and contributing to domestic hot water. It is demonstrated, via hydrochemical analysis and speciation modelling of the Fife minewater, that the success of the schemes is due to lack of contact between minewater and the atmosphere (thus limiting degassing of CO₂ and absorption of O₂). Indeed, recent difficulties with one of the schemes are ascribed to vandalism of the recharge main allowing access to oxygen, causing precipitation of ferric oxyhydroxide and clogging of the recharge borehole.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S.R. Buss Introduction to the 'Hydrogeology in Heat Engineering' papers Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, August 1, 2009; 42(3): 281 - 282. [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Busby, M. Lewis, H. Reeves, and R. Lawley Initial geological considerations before installing ground source heat pump systems Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, August 1, 2009; 42(3): 295 - 306. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]