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Ground Loop Design

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    Ground Loop Design (GLD) is a software tool for designing and optimizing ground source heat pump systems. The package enables designers to determine the correct lengths of bore or pipe required for commercial vertical, horizontal and/or pond heat excahngers, optimize the piping configuration for balanced flow and optimal heat transfer, and calculate the annual and lifetime energy/operating/emissions costs associated with each design.

    The modular program enhances design productivity and permits flexibility in the designing process and customization based on designer preferences. It also has an English/metric conversion engine and is available in many languages, providing applicability to the widest range of equipment and customers.

    GLD2014 New Features

    Expertise Required: 

    Geothermal heat pump system design experience

    Audience: 

    architects, mechanical engineers, energy professionals, HVAC contractors, design-build contractors

    Input: 

    Users import monthly or 8,760 hourly heating and cooling HVAC loads profiles from csv files or from a range of energy solution program formats. The user enters soil thermal properties typically from an in situ formation thermal conductivity test. The user then controls a range of flexible parameters and inputs to optimize the design (entering borefield configurations, land area available, borehole diameters, etc.). After completing a design, the user can optimize the "tie in", or piping configuration while considering purging/flushing, flow rates, head loss and Reynolds numbers for optimal heat transfer. After completing a design, users can export a BOM and/or conduct a lifecycle cost analysis.

    Output: 

    Users can choose from nearly 30 types of customizable reports that range from borefield design reports to heat pump specification reports to life cycle costing reports.

    Strengths: 

    GLD is a powerful suite of tools for comprehensive closed-loop geothermal system design, optimization, and simulation, as well as for geothermal life cycle costing. It is suited for use with vertical, horizontal, surface water, and hybrid geothermal systems. The user interface and streamlined controls make GLD very easy to use.

    Country: 
    United States
    Major Capabilities: 
    HVAC System Selection and Sizing
    Building Type: 
    Subsystem Level
    Platform: 
    Windows
    Pricing: 
    Reduced for Non-Commercial/Academic Use
    Help and Support: 
    Free Email Support
    Free Phone Support
    Last Software Update: 
    10 August 2015
    Last Entry Update: 
    19 September 2018

    No company information has been entered.

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