Application of ground heat exchangers in cow barns to enhance milk cooling and water heating and storage

This paper presents an innovative ground heat exchanger with double-circuit, GeoUWT (Geothermal Underground Water Tanks), and the required preconditions for installing this kind of configuration in the livestock sector. Dedicated Thermal Response Test was conducted on the test site to represent barn conditions and to estimate the heat exchange capacity of the GeoUWT in a realistic case study performance. This dynamic simulation of geothermal heat exchange between the process fluids on the barn – precooling of the produced milk and warming required amount of water – proved enhanced potential compared to existing systems of direct heat exchange. The additional value is an innovative solution for underground water storage at fixed target temperature.