Renewable Low-Potential Thermal Energy Investigation of Water Bodies

Abstract

For effective heat supply, the solar energy accumulated in natural water bodies and sources of low-potential heat are considered. To estimate the heat reserves of water bodies due to long-term measurements of water temperature in coastal and defined water areas along depth verticals, with the morphometry data, i.e. bathymetric maps, curves of volumes and areas necessary for estimating heat energy reserves being used. Investigations conducted in the Southern Urals made it possible to find the dependence of the heat reserves of water bodies on their characteristics, in particular, on their depth and the surface area. The maximum energy of low-potential heat to be converted into other types of energy is determined by its exergy and the maximum work that can be done when using heat in specified environment conditions. The procedure for finding the exergic temperature function is presented, i.e. the efficiency of an ideal thermal engine, in this case the heat efficiency coefficient of a water body. As for future studies, it is important to assess low-potential heat of natural water bodies technically, in particular with the help of heat pump plants.