"GEOTHERM.PRO" LLC - components for geothermal heat pumps
Vessel for expansion, venting and pressure level is a sealed plastic tanks with two ball valves located at the top and bottom points of the vessel.
The vessel is mounted vertically, at the highest point of the hydraulic system. During operation, the vessel is partially fill with brine.
The air in the upper part of the vessel acts as an expansion tank.
The air from the hydraulic system floats to the top of the vessel, the brine at the bottom of the vessel recharges the system and the pressure in the hydraulic system does not change.
The level of the brine inside the vessels decreases in case of venting, leakage from the hydraulic system, decreases and increases when the temperature of the brine changes. To check the level of the brine, the vessel walls are semi-transparent, that is why the vessels for expansion, venting and pressure level are called "level vessel" for short. For visual control of the brine level it is convenient to shine a torch through wall of the vessel, while tapping the vessel so that waves appear on the surface of the brine.
Application example of Level vessel with "BOX IN-3F" geothermal manifold box and geothermal heat pump:
The GEOTERM.PRO level vessel replaces three devices:
| 1. | Automatic air vent. Conventional automatic air vents sometimes drain the brine from the hydraulic system due to small debris getting under the valve seat, resulting in accidents. A level vessel is devoid of this disadvantage |
| 2. | Expansion tank. In a conventional expansion tank, the rubber diaphragm will degrade over time, causing emergencies. A level vessel does not have a diaphragm and such problems |
| 3. | Automatic hydraulic system make-up - partially. When venting, the pressure in a conventional hydraulic system decreases and the system stops working properly. Automatic boosting device raises the brine pressure, but it is relatively expensive and in case of a leak in the system it leads to flooding of the premises. A level vessel is devoid of these risks |
When starting up a geothermal system for the first time, we recommend the following procedure:
| 1. | Fill the geothermal system with brine (heat-carrier), remove as much air as possible from the system by pumping the single geothermal loops in turn; |
| 2. | Close the ball valve at the top of the level vessel and open the ball valve at the bottom of the level vessel; |
| 3. | Raise the brine pressure in the geothermal system, this will reduce the air volume in the level vessel and the brine level will rise to approximately 2/3 of the level vessel. |
To increase the pressure of brine in the hydraulic system, to increase the level of brine in the vessel, in the absence of a special powerful pump:
| 1. | Run the brine pump, usually installed inside the geothermal heat pump, to maximum capacity; |
| 2. | Close the brine circuit that supply brine to the vessel, the brine pump will be reduced the pressure in the vessel, and the brine level will drop; |
| 3. | Open the ball valve on top of the vessel, top up brine to approximately 1/5 of the height of the vessel if necessary; |
| 4. | Close the ball valve on top of the vessel; |
| 5. | Switch off the brine pump; |
| 6. | Check the hydraulic system pressure, and the brine level, which should be within 1/2...3/4 of the vessel; |
| 7. | Open the brine circuit. |
The selection of the appropriate volume of the level vessel (as well as the expansion tank) depends on the volume of the geothermal system, the composition and the operating temperatures of the brine.
Approximate volume of the level vessel:
