UK could become pioneer of heating technology which uses the seabed

According to a recent analysis, the United Kingdom might be a global leader in the usage of geothermal energy from the seabed if it could harness the tremendous potential of its 12,000 kilometers of coastline.

Researchers from Nottingham Trent University (NTU), Beijing University of Technology, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, and Beijing Municipal Institute of Labour Protection conducted an international study that demonstrated the potential for using capillary heat exchangers for heat pumps in the shallows of the seabed to provide homes with an infinite supply of heating and cooling.

According to the research, during the winter, with a seawater temperature of just 3.7°C, it may provide up to 60W/m2 of thermal energy for surrounding coastal houses. The quantity needed to heat a typical UK house is 100W/m2. The same method might be used to chill properties by supplying cold air from the colder seabed temperatures.

A capillary heat exchanger – with 4.3mm diameter capillary tubes and an interior diameter of 2.8mm – extracts heat or cooling energy from the seabed’s shallows. Capillaries may be constructed horizontally or vertically, forming a three-dimensional heat exchange network, depending on the actual circumstances in coastal locations.

A hotel in Qingdao, China, was utilized to pilot test the technology as part of the investigation. A 250 m2 capillary was installed in the shallows 50m offshore, 5m deep. The distance between the hotel and the capillary was 300m.

The water departing the bottom in the capillary was heated to 40.6 C before being pumped to the hotel and utilized to warm the air in the building, according to tests.

“The heat capacity of the seafloor is endless – making this an exceptionally astounding potential source of renewable energy,” said Zhenpeng Bai, an energy saving technology researcher.

Unlike ground-source heat pumps, which might need substantial excavation work, a capillary seabed heat pump requires minimum installation and causes minimal harm to the bottom. It has a larger heat exchanger area, is less prone to corrosion from saltwater, is less expensive than other technologies, and does not need auxiliary equipment such as purification and water treatment.

According to experts, this technology has the potential to be a new and major addition to how houses throughout the globe may minimize their carbon footprint. The UK, US, and China have the potential to promote this under-researched renewable resource due to their relatively huge coasts and abundant deposits of shallow geothermal energy in coastal locations.