Analysis of coupling characteristics of clean heating systems based on complementary solar, geothermal, and wind energy

Abstract

In order to overcome the limitations of traditional clean energy utilization methods, this paper proposed an innovative technical solution for a combined heating system that cleverly integrated solar, wind, and geothermal energy to achieve complementarity and synergized among them, thereby ensuring stable and efficient energy utilization. First, a comprehensive mathematical model was developed for the entire heating system, encompassing solar thermal subsystem, geothermal subsystem, wind power generation subsystem, and a second-stage reheating subsystem. Subsequently, Ebsilon simulation software was utilized to cleverly couple these subsystems together, with corresponding boundary conditions set to ensure the overall efficiency and stability of the system. Based on meteorological data and geothermal resource parameters from a typical heating season in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, this paper thoroughly analyzed the variations in key performance indicators such as the photothermal conversion efficiency of solar thermal subsystem and the heating capacity of geothermal subsystem. This provided valuable insight for optimizing the design of heating system. The results indicated that during the daylight hours of the heating season, both the photothermal conversion efficiency and the heat supply from the solar thermal subsystem exhibited an increasing trend as solar radiation increased. Among them, the photothermal conversion efficiency peaked at 76.013%, while the maximum heat supply output reached 40.311 kW. When solar direct radiation was relatively weak, the system primarily relied on the heat release process of the thermal storage tank to maintain heating, with a minimum heat supply of 27.268 kW. During nighttime hours of the heating season, the geothermal subsystem dominated the heating process, with a maximum heat supply of 125.556 kW. Additionally, for every 5 °C increased in geothermal water temperature, the heat supply from the geothermal subsystem increased by an average of 6.553 kW, demonstrating excellent heating response performance. Therefore, the integrated clean heating system that combines solar, geothermal, and wind energy not only significantly improves the utilization efficiency of clean energy but also enhances the heating stability of the integrated clean energy coupling system to a certain extent. The clean heating technical solution proposed in the paper had a theoretical total heating capacity of 19 680 kW during the heating season. When converted, this equates to a substitution of 6.9 tons of standard coal, resulting in a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by 17.94 tons. This demonstrates the considerable cleanliness and environmental benefits of the proposed heating system. This study provides a valuable reference for the engineering application of renewable energy in the field of clean heating.