Simulation of the impact of aquifers on the ground temperature in ground-source heat pump operation

The winter operation of ground-source heat pumps is expected to lead to drift phenomena in the zones surrounding the vertical ground heat exchangers. A moving aquifer tends to oppose the thermal drift, due to the advection groundwater phenomena. A modelling study of the quantitative influence of the groundwater flow on the thermal drift is performed, based on the moving infinite line source model. The analytical solution of this model is numerically solved and implemented in a computer software. Referring to a particularly critical case study, an easy-to-use application of the model based on this analytical solution is then presented. The influence of the existing flow is assessed upon either improving the effective operating conditions of the heat pump plant or reducing of the total borehole length.