This paper proposes an optimum pipe material (PVC vs. PE) design & selection for open loop ground heat exchangers. Heat exchange efficiency and/or workability, and the need for trench insulation were investigated by comparing EWT (cooling mode) of each system. CFD simulations for the PVC and PE pipe with the same inner diameter show similar EWT. This is because the PVC pipe has a small thickness but a low thermal conductivity as compared to the PE pipe, and thus these two properties tend to offset each other. However, a hypothetically insulated pipe led to a meaningful drop of EWT. This means pipe insulation is of importance in performance of ground heat exchangers. From analyzing climate data and system operation, it is not advantageous to insulate trench pipes due to construction difficulties and ground temperature characteristics that are seasonally varied.

This paper proposes an optimum operation method for open type ground heat exchangers. A series of TRTs and artificial heating/cooling operations were carried out while monitoring temperature in the hole of SCW. The ground temperature naturally increases with depth, but a switch between the cooling/heating mode results in a change in the distribution of ground temperature. The effect of the mode change was evaluated by performing LMTD and COMSOL multiphysics analysis for a reduced model with the depth of 150 m. As a result, in the cooling mode, the upstream operation is more efficient than the downstream operation and reduces EWT by 2.26℃. On the other hand, in the heating mode, the downstream operation is advantageous over the upstream operation and increases EWT by 3.19℃. The merit of the optimum operation will be enhanced for the typical dimension of SCW with a depth of 400~500 m. In the future, an open type ground heat exchanger system adopting the optimum operation with variation in the ground temperature will be used in practice.