Downhole heat exchanger

Downhole heat exchangers, like other use of geothermal energy, have the potential to significantly contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions.

[3] The heat exchanger usually consists of one or two u-tubes through which the carrier fluid, usually water, circulates.

The space around the u-tubes is filled with groundwater or backfilled with thermally conductive grout.

Since this involves practically no downhole equipment, these systems usually only go by the name of borehole heat exchangers (BHT).

If no casing is installed and groundwater is permitted to charge the system, this arrangement is no longer a BHT, but rather a standing column well.