Mechanical Engineering Project: Geothermal Heating and Cooling System

This report details a mechanical engineering project focused on the design, implementation, and evaluation of a geothermal heating and cooling system. The project involved creating a test environment to assess the system's effectiveness in controlling room temperature and providing warm water. The student's responsibilities included guiding the team, managing project timelines and costs, designing the test room, and documenting the entire process. The report covers the project's objectives, background, the student's specific contributions, challenges encountered (such as labor costs for underground pipeline installation), and solutions implemented. It also includes an overview of the geothermal system's theory, engineering knowledge applied, and the collaborative efforts with team members and university resources. The project successfully demonstrated the feasibility of geothermal heating and cooling, meeting its objectives within the set timeline and budget, and providing a sustainable solution for residential temperature control and water heating.

COMPETENCY
DEMONSTRATION REPORT
Career Episode 3
SHRUTI S.BHAVTHANKAR

CE 3.1 Project Information
Name of the project: Geothermal Heating and Cooling
Location of the project: [PLEASE FILL]
Project Duration: [PLEASE FILL]
Organization: [PLEASE FILL]
Role and Designation during the time: Team Member
CE 3.2 Project Background
CE 3.2.1 Characteristics of the project
The basic theory behind the development of this project is to humidity control, heating
and controlling of a room with the help of earth’s temperature. This process can also be used to
provide the users with the ability to receive warm water without the use of any electrical
equipment. Any kind of geothermal heating and cooling system is composed of three subsystems
within the procedure. The three systems work together to complete the project. The three systems
are: a heat pump to remove the heat from the building to the fluid in the earth connector, an earth
connector to transfer the heat between the fluid and the earth and a subsystem which is
responsible for the heating or the cooling of the room. If the building is facing a high warm water
requirement then there is an option of adding a de super heater to the water heater of the
building.

CE 3.2.2 Objectives developed for the project
For the project I had set out the following list of objectives to be followed for the
completion of this project:
 To make the project as feasible as possible.
 To make it cheap for the implementation procedure.
 To make it efficient enough so that this project does not become a failure.
 To be able to use the heat of the earth for the cooling of residential areas
CE 3.2.3 My area of work
For this project I was responsible for guiding my team throughout the project with the
help of my production engineer skills and to make the project successful. I had helped my team
members with the guide for the installation procedure of the heating and cooling system. I had
first setup a location house in an open location with a complete furnished room. I then proceeded
with the process of installation of the geothermal system. For this project I had compiled the
complete working procedure of the project into a complete documentation. The documentation
also included the testing phase results of the project and the literature study conducted for the
understanding of the working procedure to use for the project.

CE 3.2.4 Project Group
Figure 1: Team Member associated in this project
CE 3.2.5 My responsibilities throughout the project
For the complete duration of the project I had looked after the working procedure of the
project. I had kept a track of the cost and the deadline of the project in order to make sure that the
project is going as plan. I had helped in the designing and the development of the room which
was to be used as test location for the project. The geothermal system was installed into the room
and the testing results were calculated and determined if the project was successful. At the end of
the project I had compiled all the theory collected from the research study and the working
procedure which I had followed for the project into a documentation. The documentation would
help in understanding the exact working procedure of the project.

CE 3.3 Distinctive Activity
CE 3.3.1 Comprehending the theory of the project
The geothermal system of heating and cooling is the process of using the earth’s
temperature in order to heat up water or cool down water and then force the air into the room.
This would be able to reduce the temperature of the room by a certain factor. The heat
distribution system can be laid out in two ways: vertically down or horizontally flat. The most
used form of this distribution system is the vertically down form. The loops can also be in the
form of closed or open which makes the water to get contaminated due to the surrounding soil.
Though there are a lot of ways to implement the geothermal system, it can be best laid out with
the help of a local staying at the locality.
CE 3.3.2 Engineering knowledge and skills applied in the project
For this project I had applied my production engineer skills. I was able to help my team
mates for the understanding of the project as well as teach my team members the basics to use
during the development phase. I had also looked after the cost and the timeline of the project as
well as the process of implementation of the project. The room developed helped in the
understanding and compiling the test results on the project successful.
CE 3.3.3 Accomplishment and task performed
The project had been completed with the help of all my team members. I had studied all
the research material on the geo thermal system which helped to determine the best way to
implement the geothermal system. To heat or cool the room there was to special way of laying
the pipes. The pipes needed to be connected with a u shaped bend under the ground where the
water is stored. Two parallel pipes run up and are connected to the walls of the building. During

the warm summer the hot air would be sucked into the tube through the bottom pipe and cold air
is to be pushed in through the upper pipe. During the winter time the colder air is sucked in
through the lower pipe and warm air is pushed in through the upper tube.
CE 3.3.4 Identified issues and their solutions
3.3.4.1 Issues
The major issue which I had faced during the process of implementation of the project
was when we had to install the underground pipelines near the house. The underground system to
be installed for the project requires the soil to be dug up and the pipes laid. The problem was
raised when the labour cost was not there for our project.
3.3.4.2 Solutions
I had found the best solution of pushing the pipes down the top soil and then leaving
them there. As the project is small it was feasible. However this cannot be used for large scale
implementation.
CE 3.3.5 Plan to produce creative and innovative work
In the project I was able to implement the process of understanding the way geothermal
systems work. With the understanding of the process, I had conducted research based on the
geothermal system to make the process of implementation at the test site better than before. I had
also taken care of developing a test house in an open ground to test the working of the project
after installation. To make our project completely successful we had to check whether the rooms
were able to be controlled season wise. This led to the dragging of the project to two different
seasons. The project proved to be successful and in turn make the project a successful one.

CE 3.3.6 Collaborative work
For the completion of the project I had worked along with my team mates and my project
supervisor to deliver the best quality project abiding by the requirements as well as the objectives
for the project. Along with this collaboration I was able to receive help from the University
electrical laboratory for the process of testing the project as well as fixing the complete project
within the deadline. I had also conducted research on the topic to understand the process of the
working of the project. I had used the best process and guided my team mates accordingly for the
completion of the project within the deadline. I had used my skills in all aspects of the project to
make the project the best.
CE 3.4 Project Review
CE 3.4.1 Project Overview
Once the testing of the project was complete, I was able to say that the project was
successful in its objectives as well as the timeline and the budget of the project. The test room
was able to be controlled with the geothermal system of heating and cooling. This helped in
reducing the cost for the heating and cooling procedure of one’s houses. The availability of the
warn water enough for a family of four, which is the standard count of a family.
CE 3.4.2 My contribution to work
For the complete duration of the project I had looked after the working procedure of the
project, cost and the timeline of working. I had helped in the designing and the setting up of the
test room which was to be used for the testing of the geothermal project. I had completely
furnished the room in order to make the testing phase realistic. I had also taken the initiative of

writing the documentation file of the project where I had included all the research material and
theories used for the project. I had also included the working method of the project as well as the
testing results of the project to support the objective which had been set forward at the beginning
of the project.