Geothermal Heating: Environmental Impacts, Optimization, and Remediation

通过更多地采用可再生能源来减少对化石燃料的依赖，已成为全球减缓气候变化和减少温室气体排放的优先事项。在加拿大，地热供暖（或地源热泵）的使用已成为建筑物供暖和制冷的一种流行选择，预计在不久的将来，大多数大型建筑物将把地热供暖作为其气候控制策略的一部分。然而，人们对地热加热对地下环境的影响知之甚少。此外，关于地热设施、地下水管理、井距或井深的规定也很少。规格留给供应商，其目标是实现特定的加热/冷却目标；对环境的潜在影响是次要的。***拟议的研究旨在量化大规模地热加热装置对地下水运动和质量的环境影响。将开发一个新的数值模型，为优化地热加热的效率和对地下水运动的影响提供基础。通过了解对地下水流量和质量的影响，将研究重新部署地热加热作为工业污染物污染场地的修复策略的可能性。在这种情况下，地下温度的上升将被用来加速有害化合物的分解。新模型将在这项研究中发挥关键作用，同时进行实验室规模的实验，研究低温对污染物运输和生物降解的影响。这是首次对地热采暖与地下修复相结合的研究。考虑到加拿大大型城市中心棕地的大量开发项目，该申请尤为重要。拟议的研究将为指导方针提供信息，并帮助指导加拿大地热供暖应用的政策

Reducing reliance on fossil fuels, by increased adoption of renewables, has become a worldwide priority to mitigate climate change and minimize greenhouse gas emissions. In Canada, the use of geothermal heating (or ground source heat pumps) has become a popular option for heating and cooling buildings and it is anticipated that, in the near term, most large buildings will include geothermal heating as part of their climate control strategy. However, very little is known about the environmental impacts of geothermal heating on the subsurface environment. Furthermore, few regulations exist for geothermal installations, groundwater management, and well spacing or depth. Specifications are left to vendors whose goals are to achieve specific heating/cooling objectives; potential impacts on the environment are secondary. ***The proposed research aims to quantify the environmental effects of a large-scale geothermal heating installation on groundwater movement and quality. A new numerical model will be developed that will provide the basis for optimizing geothermal heating for efficiency and impact on groundwater movement. By understanding effects on groundwater flow and quality, the possibility of redeploying geothermal heating as a remediation strategy for sites contaminated by industrial pollutants will be investigated. In this scenario, the rise in subsurface temperature will be leveraged to accelerate the breakdown of harmful compounds. The new model will be critical in this investigation, along with lab-scale experiments that will investigate low temperature effects on contaminant transport and biodegradation. This is the first time that the integration of geothermal heating and subsurface remediation has been investigated. The application is particularly relevant given the large number of developments on brownfield sites across large Canadian urban centres. The proposed research will inform guidelines and help guide Canadian policy on geothermal heating applications.**