Graduation of Bullivant energy researcher Wednesday, 5th August 2009
Bullivant supported researcher, Dr. Christopher Wood, is awarded his PhD from The University of Nottingham.
Christopher’s research covered a number of investigations in the field of ground source (also known as geothermal) energy, with a main emphasis on the use of residential piles as 'energy piles'. The main experimentation, carried out at Roger Bullivant’s Drakelow headquarters, was to investigate the effect of extracting heat from the ground utilising a 'SystemFirst' pile layout, both in terms of pile and ground temperature changes but also the effect upon the heat pump efficiency. The research has been novel in its approach and has been presented at both national and international conferences. Other investigations such as ground loop design were also performed. The infomation gathered by the research has provided the basis for future calculations applicable to the design of residential energy pile systems. Such energy pile systems could therefore provide a cost effective solution for the utilisation of ground source heat pumps in new build homes.
