Thermal Response Tests (TRTs) | Groundwater Engineering

Thermal Response Tests

Thermal response tests (TRTs) use a small portable test rig used to inject a finite amount of heat energy into a closed loop test borehole over a period of several days, while monitoring the rate at which heat is transferred into the surrounding ground. Analysis of the test data can allow accurate values of ground thermal properties such as thermal conductivity, heat capacity and borehole thermal resistance to be determined.

These tests can play an important part in helping designers develop cost-effective and sustainable designs for closed loop ground energy systems. By providing site-specific design parameters it can allow less conservative ground loop designs and reduce the number of closed loop boreholes required, as well as giving the client greater confidence in the whole design process.

Groundwater Engineering provides thermal response testing and other geothermal testing services.