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Municipal Geothermal Systems: Evaluation of Three Hungarian Cases
81-93Views:62Geothermal energy holds great potential for a sustainable future, as it is a clean and weather-independent form of energy. In addition to energy production, it can also serve the population of a region through direct use. In this paper, three municipal geothermal systems (Szarvas, Nagyszénás, Békéscsaba) in the same Hungarian region which have been recently installed or expanded are presented and analysed. Here, the direct usage of geothermal energy for heating purposes is a very important issue. The three systems show several differences and to some extent face different challenges in the various phases of the projects. Particular attention has been paid to engineering solutions to the problems that arise. The challenges, such as technical difficulties during installation, maintenance difficulties, or problems arising during operation are introduced. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of similar geothermal systems were summarized, based on the relevant literature. These points were evaluated by their appearance and characteristics in the examined systems. This study aims to provide insights, based on recently gained experiences, into geothermal projects, thus providing feedback and practical information for researchers and practitioners.
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Modern use of geothermal energy in Nagyszénás (Case Study)
106-115Views:192A project based on geothermal energy use in Nagyszénás, Békés County, Hungary, was finished on December 20, 2015. The construction investments were realized with the support of the European Union from tender funds won in the financial cycle of 2007-2013 in the total value of HUF 1.578 billion. The thermal water utilization investment was realized with unique technical solutions in the country, and as a result, a modern, economical heating system using green energy source was built, and now provides energy for the public institutions of the settlement and for the newly established bath complex. During construction and operation, several unforeseen technical problems arose, which could only be solved by using new technical elements. The high salinity and high temperature of the extracted thermal water required special engineering solutions. During operation, modifications and changes in technological elements were required at several points for the safe operation. The purpose of this article is to present these technical interventions, which made the reliable operation possible, thus the system provides a suitable alternative to natural gas-based heating.
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Human security issues of deep wells retraining
114-123Views:81Nowadays, in the world's energy production structure, fossil fuels dominate and at the same time cause a number of environmental problems. Comparing the use of conventional fossil fuels with geothermal energy, this kind of energy production is extremely beneficial, as there are no pollutants and a renewable energy source. Moreover, if we want to compare geothermal energy with other renewable energy sources (such as wind energy, solar energy, etc.), much of the benefits can also be attributed to geothermal energy becouse it is a stable energy source and the area requirement is low. Due to these extremely favorable properties, the study of the applicability of geothermal energy is gaining ground in renewable energy sources. In addition, it is well known that there are approximately 20 to 30 million abandoned oil wells in the world, plus sealed wells for other purposes, and the final number may be much larger. In the case of abandoned oil wells, the escaping residual oil may be a problem, which can lead to significant environmental problems. Taking these factors into account, research on the recyclability of abandoned wells for geothermal purposes becomes a target for more and more research topics around the world. It is interesting to note that a significant part of the publications are concerned with examining the technological potential of energy utilization, studying heat transport processes, and generating general, energetic or economical evaluations. A publication of a kind that would have evaluated the safety of recyclable abandoned wells in publishing databases was limited. It is therefore an important question that the abandoned wells, from the point of view of human security and environmental protection. How can they be reactive, how can the new technological elements be built up and how much human security factors of the newly created system are affected by the existing elements?
