Which geothermal heating system draws water up through a well directly to a heat exchanger where heat is extracted?

Which geothermal heating system draws water up through a well directly to a heat exchanger where heat is extracted?

• A. Open loop system
• B. Closed loop system
• C. Pumped loop system
• D. Ground water system

Answer: (A)

Open-loop geothermal systems pull groundwater up from a well and run it directly through a heat exchanger to transfer heat with the building’s system, then the water is discharged or reinjected. This direct path is what makes it distinct: the earth’s heat is accessed by moving actual well water through the exchanger, rather than circulating a closed loop of fluid buried in the ground. In contrast, a closed-loop system never brings groundwater to the surface; it uses a sealed loop of pipe filled with a heat-transfer fluid to exchange heat with the ground. So, drawing water up from a well to a heat exchanger is characteristic of an open-loop, or ground-water, system.

Open-loop geothermal systems pull groundwater up from a well and run it directly through a heat exchanger to transfer heat with the building’s system, then the water is discharged or reinjected. This direct path is what makes it distinct: the earth’s heat is accessed by moving actual well water through the exchanger, rather than circulating a closed loop of fluid buried in the ground. In contrast, a closed-loop system never brings groundwater to the surface; it uses a sealed loop of pipe filled with a heat-transfer fluid to exchange heat with the ground. So, drawing water up from a well to a heat exchanger is characteristic of an open-loop, or ground-water, system.