Green Gas (Czechia)

International audience

VŠB – Technical University of Ostrava (VŠB-TU Ostrava) has unique conditions for analysing temperature changes in the rock mass while borehole heat exchangers have been operational for a long time. The Auditory building is heated with a system of heat pumps (borehole heat exchangers). It is one of the largest such objects in the Czech Republic. The heat of the rock mass is provided by a system of technological boreholes. The research boreholes are used for monitoring temperature changes in the rock mass while using the Auditory’s heating system. The system for monitoring boreholes within the area of technological borehole activity is called Large Research Polygon (LRP). Apart from LRP, the university also possesses another research polygon – Small Research Polygon (SRP) located at a distance from the LRP near the Energy Research Centre (ERC). All boreholes performed within both research fields are equipped with sensors monitoring the temperature changes while the Auditory building is being heated (thermal energy is recovered from the rock mass in winter) or cooled (thermal energy is transmitted to the rock mass in summer). The main objective of the research carried out in both research fields is checking the functionality and efficiency of the entire system. Certain aspects of thermal energy recuperation from the rock mass are described. The paper is closed with the results of monitoring and calculation of temperature in the surface layers to about 20 m of depth.

The largest been realized installations of heat pumps in the Czech Republic, where the primary collector of low-potential heat is formed deep wells, is heating complex building of new Auditorium and CIT in campus of VSB Technical University of Ostrava. This building represents two independent functional units (Auditorium with side halls and Information Technology Centre - CIT) with a total floor area of 9234 m2. The original project planned compound heating using district heating as a primary source of heat. Heating the object itself is a combination of floor heating systems and hot-air heaters. During project preparation has changed the project heating and a modern, technically unique and highly cost-effective solution has been designed with heat pump (type rock-water). Currently building heats 10 heat pumps with a total output of 700 kW through 110 wells with a depth of 130 m each. To assess the proportions of individual internal and external sources to the overall heat balance, the verification of systems designed for long-term monitoring of the behaviour of the rock massive around the energy used wells and energy storage options have been proposed and gradually implemented two research measuring polygons. They are located in the area of energy utilized wells. Each of the monitoring wells is instrumented with sensors at a certain depth. This article discusses the implementation of research polygons on experience with the excavation of wells using temperature sensors, a data acquisition system and finally outlines the possibilities of evaluating the measurement data.

One of outputs of the research project of the Czech Mining Office “Protection of Employees against Consequences of Rock and Gas Outbursts” was the application of yet not used methods of coal mining in the conditions of the Czech Republic. The aim of these methods is an increase in the recovery of coal reserves blocked in residual pillars left. For the conditions of Paskov Mine (Ostrava-Karvina Mines company) [1], the method of mining by means of long large diameter boreholes was chosen. The contribution provides information on the application of this mining method abroad and in the Czech Republic in the Paskov Mine.