QHeat and Exel Composites Improve Efficiency in Energy Plant with Composite Collector Pipes

With past successes at the Lounavoima (Finland) energy plant, QHeat was called on to help improve energy efficiency, specifically in the geothermal wells. In partnership with Exel Composites, the companies created and installed custom-made composite collector pipes that improved borehole energy efficiency by 10%. The pipes also meet the plant’s focus on durability, sustainability, and recyclability.

The collector pipes are installed two kilometers underground, so they must be able to withstand their own weight as well as provide insulation to minimize heat loss during energy transfer. Traditional materials were ruled out as metal conducts heat and plastic does not have the necessary mechanical strength required at the depths of this project. Exel designed and manufactured the metal-free pipes using fiberglass in a pultrusion process, optimizing the material for insulation and flow. QHeat installed the pipes using specialized tools.

“Our core expertise is in understanding what composites can enable. While they offer general benefits like durability and lightness, we focus on identifying what’s required in each unique case and solving those needs with the right combination,” says Tiina Uotila, Technical Sales Manager at Exel.

“We got to work ambitiously and openly on a product that has the potential to launch us into new business areas and markets. We could demonstrate that the composite pipes have an estimated 50-year lifecycle and can be responsibly disposed of at the end of it,” said Pertti Kainu, Product Business Owner at Exel Composites.

“I think we all take our hats off to QHeat for developing their technology and a functional system, as well as having excellent references and diverse expertise. It’s not self-evident to be able to drill two kilometers into the bedrock,” Kainu added.

The post QHeat and Exel Composites Improve Efficiency in Energy Plant with Composite Collector Pipes appeared first on American Composites Manufacturers Association.