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Some of the Latest Features in GLDs
GLDs is a constantly improving and evolving software suite. In addition to enhancing features that were introduced in previous versions, the latest GLDs offers new enhancements that users have been requesting for this and future versions. Some of the enhancements are "under the hood" and others, such as those listed below, represent additional functionality to aid in the design and optimization of GHX Systems. With the latest GLD, you get all of the previous features that have made GLDs the most widely used commercial Geothermal Design Suite, and a host of new enhancements and functionality.
The Piping System Designer represents a giant leap in simplification of the loopfield piping tie-in design. Previously, users needed to build their own piping groups and sizing reductions to create a balanced system. With the new Piping Designer, Purging, Balancing and flow characteristics are fully automated. Additionally, the system efficiency is evaluated and the designer is given a pipe bill of materials.
Optimization Wizard Creating the Design
Optimization Front End
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Previous versions of GLD were programmed to comply with file and security organization that originated with versions of Windows through Windows XP. As newer versions of Windows were released, the security rules and folder/file locations migrated to new directories within the OS and GLD2016 and later versions are fully migrated to the new structure. As a result, user files, program files and libraries have been placed in locations to allow users to control their own files without being an administrator. Further, the new installer allows for installation of upgrades without having to uninstall previous software which, again, reduces the need for IT intervention. GLD still maintains full compatiblilty with files from previous versions.
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Features Included from Ongoing GLDs Development
In the past, GLD could approximate a hybrid cooler/heater in terms of energy that needed to be manually removed from a load and resimulated. With GLDs Premier, for the first time, a designer can actually shave energy peaks or remove total energy from the building loads and directly simulate the impact in a single step. Never before has a designer been able to do this in any geothermal design program. With GLDs Premier and hourly loads data, all of the guesswork is removed and the designer can quickly estimate the sizing for a balanced loopfield and maximum system efficiency,.
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Until now, designing anything other than a rectangular loopfield was a tedious job that required manual operations external to the GLD software. In the real world, layouts need to work with real world obstacles and the GridBuilder lets you quickly build and visualize complex shapes and layouts from within the user interface. Need to install a loopfield beneath an irregular parking lot? GLD now allows the designer to easily create and simulate an unlimited range of unique loopfield designs. The GridBuilder is available in GLD Premier.
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A visual representation of how borehole layout and soil thermal properties influence ground temperature changes over time is useful for understanding the thermodynamic ins and outs of a particular design. The new “G” function visualizer gives the designer a new high level view of layout effectiveness. In conjunction with the new GridBuilder tool, the designer can see how the layout affects the design in a way that goes beyond just looking at the numbers. No other geothermal design tool can begin to match this functionality or design power.
Do you have a plot of land that might be big enough for a horizontal design? Now with GLD Premier or Professional you can input the length and width of the field and GLD will calculate how the horizontal system will perform. Similar in function to the vertical fixed length mode, the new fixed area mode for horizontal systems opens up a wide new field of geothermal design.
GLD includes a tool that calculates and graphs how the temperatures in the horizontal system are expected to cycle over the design lifetime.
The Geothermal System Analyzer Module is the most comprehensive geothermal lifecycle analysis tool on the market. Ever wondered how much money your client will save from both bonus and MACRS depreciation? How much C02 will your system save over the next 10 years? What will be the lifetime cost of replacing your mechanical equipment every 15 years vs. every 22 years? Now you can do all of this and much more with the GSA Module.
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Additional enhancements in the GLD controls help ensure that your design performs within heat pump specifications over the long term. For example, if your inlet temperatures creep outside the acceptable range for a particular heat pump GLD will now let you know with a message to warn you along with identifying the parameter in red.
With the new GSA Systems Analyzer Module, high quality graphs are available for use with reports to customers or for feasibility reports. It is not necessary to create your own graphs as GLD now provides a variety of selectable graphs to illustrate the financial value of system choices in Geothermal vs Conventional systems.
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The TC module enables designers to quickly import raw conductivity test data from the GeoCube (a test unit manufactured by www.precisiongeothermal.com) as well as from other test units. The latest version has more automatic functions, calculates borehole thermal resistance (BTR) from in-situ data and offers enhanced graphing capabilities. Additionally, the software now detects and selects temperature sensors from systems that have redundant temperature sensors. The intellegent column identification system will correctly identify column headers and truncate extraneous information that is not needed in the sensor identification process, which makes the import process faster and more reliable. .
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This new module enables designers to easily model, analyze and optimize the piping systems that comprise the foundation of ground heat exchanger systems. Piping systems consist of a wide possible range of connected components including: Manifolds/Vaults, Supply and Return Runouts, Supply and Return Headers, single and double u-bends, the fittings that connect the systems together and circulation pumps. Utilizing a new, patent-pending visual interface for viewing and creating a design via a drag and drop methodology, the CFD module can automatically design optimal flow-balanced (direct and reverse return) systems while providing designers with the flexibility they need for standard and non-standard systems. Outputs include flow rates, fluid velocities, Reynold's numbers, pressure drop, fluid volume and the like for every single point in a dynamic geothermal piping system. The GLD CFD Module is the first tool in humanity's toolbox for modeling the complex fluid dynamics in geothermal heat exchanger systems.
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With a new g function engine based off of recent heat transfer research advances, GLD can now model the bore and fluid temperatures and equipment performance hour by hour over one or more design years. The hourly simulation provides very fine control over design and optimization and enables (for example) advanced solar thermal recharge simulations and more precise average annual kWh consumption and performance (COP/EER) calculations. The hourly output reports are well suited for inclusion in LEED submittal materials. GLD accepts hourly inputs from programs such as Trane Trace, the IES Virtual Environment and Excel.
Time of Use (TOU) modeling is becoming more common globally as utilities have started charging differential rates for electricity based on its time of use. Therefore, modeling TOU consumption for geothermal systems is growing in importance. With GLD Premier and hourly loads data, TOU modeling based off of any type of TOU schedule is a straightforward process. After a system is designed and an hourly energy simulation is run, the user can view hourly kWh consumption and use these data to calculate TOU-based costs.
Demonstrating to clients the projected kWh consumption for a particular loopfield traditionally has been a daunting task. Now GLD performs these complex calculations automatically using monthly or hourly loads data, a dynamic heat pump model, and the details of a particular design. Predicted average annual kWh consumption is reported with each design iteration.
The design dashboard was introduced in earlier GLD versions and has been refined to enable the designer to quickly review and compare the results from design day, monthly and hourly simulations of a particular vertical borehole system. By being able to easily view the results from each type of simulation, the designer is in a better position to understand the impact of the loads profile and loopfield design on the system performance and then to make modifications to the design (and possibly building design) to design an optimal system.
The enhanced ever present UI speeds up your designs
In addition to manual input controls for thermal conductivity and diffusivity parameters, the GLD includes a weighted average conductivity/diffusivity calculator that enables a designer to use a drilling log to estimate thermal conductivity and diffusivity via weighted average calculations. Although an in-situ thermal conductivity/response test is considered the gold standard, when such a test cannot be performed the weighted average calculation is a potentially useful alternative. GLD includes an expanded database of approximately 100 soil types.
The enhanced user interface enables designers to effortlessly select from the three calculation methodologies (design day, monthly and hourly) via a selection box. This interface ensures that designers select their preferred design methodology with ease.
Our powerful graphing module provides designers with the ability to visually analyze design results in new ways. For example, users can zoom in easily on an area of interest and then zoom back out to review the entire data set as necessary.
Designers can import monthly and/or hourly loads files from leading energy simulation tools including the IES Virtual Environment and the Trane Trace Product Line. After designing a system, users can then export their calculated results back to these programs for integration into the overall building simulation.
Designers can now export their vertical loopfield designs directly into AutoCAD as a layer with dimensions.
Designers can now include their company logo in GLD-generated reports. Users can also prepopulate reports with standard company information.
