A revolutionary plastic formulation specifically designed for pipe manufacturing aimed at enhancing heat transfer applications. This unique blend significantly boosts the thermal conductivity of PE-100 Polyethylene, a standard material in shallow geothermal energy applications, a substantial increase that optimises geothermal exchange performance without compromising essential mechanical properties such as flexibility, impact resistance, and durability. The new formulation ensures seamless handling of the pipes while maximising energy efficiency – a groundbreaking solution for the geothermal industry.
Applications
- Geothermal Industry: The formulation’s ability to improve thermal conductivity can be particularly beneficial for improving the efficiency of ground source heat pumps and other geothermal energy systems.
- District Heating Networks: This could be beneficial for creating efficient district heating networks, where the thermal conductivity of the pipes is critical.
Technology Overview
The developed plastic formulation is a mixture of different components that substantially increase the thermal conductivity of PE-100 Polyethylene, customarily used in shallow geothermal energy. Our formulation increases the reference conductivity value of PE-100 from 0.4 W/(m.K) to a proven value of about 1.2 W/(m.K), thus substantially increasing the geothermal exchange performance. At the same time, the mixture developed allows for maintaining the main mechanical characteristics essential for handling these pipes, such as flexibility, impact index and durability, among others.
