Doctoral School of

Energy and
Geotechnology II
12.01.2011
TOPIC: MINING AND
GEOTECHNOLOGY

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Underground water pools as
heat source for heat pumps
in abandoned oil shale
mines in Estonia
VEIKO KARU
DEPARTMENT OF MINING
TALLINN UNIVERSITY OF TEHNOLOGY
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 Introduction
• Estonian Oil Shale deposit is located in
Eastern part of Estonia.
• The closed oil shale mines are located
in central part of oil shale deposit and
the area is about 176 km2.
• There are nine closed mines and two
working mines.

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Study area

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 Oil shale underground mining
• Room and pillar mining

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 Aim of research
• How much water is in every mine,which
can be use as heat source for heat
pumps?
• How much mine water needed for heat
pumps as heat source?
• Where to build a heat pump plant?

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Heat production yearly in Estonia

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 Methods
• Main tools for analysis
–amount of water in abandoned oil
shale mines is computational
modeling with spreadsheet
models
–designing the water flow with
ModFlow.
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 Analysis
• Water volume for heat pump – amount of
water that is pumped through heat pump
(m3/h).
• Change in temperature – it depends on
how much heat will be taken away from
water (oC)
• Coefficient of performance (COP) – it
depends on how much electricity the heat
pump complex consumes. 10
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To calculate transfers of heat energy, can be used
equation:

Q  m  c  t (kW) (1)

where:
Q - heat absorbed or released (kW)
m – water mass (kg/s);
c – specific heat capacity (4,19 kJ/kgK for water);
t – change in temperature (K)

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 Coefficient of performance
Q
COP  heatout
(2)
Q electricin

where:
COP – coefficient of performance;
Q heat out – quantity of heat production by heat pump
(kW); Q electric in – quantity of electricity for heat
production (kW).
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 Results

Amount of water in oil shale seam

Mine: Kukruse Kaevandus nr 2 Käva Käva 2 Kaevandus nr 4 Tammiku
(Jõhvi kaevandus)
Amount of water, mln m 3 17.1 9.5 1.7 13.3 16.9 23.5

Mine: Sompa Kohtla Ahtme Viru Estonia Summary

Amount of water, mln m 3 21.9 16.1 28.7 2.9 7.1 158.9

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Potential of water usage
in study area

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Underground water pools

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Water level

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Water requirements depending heat production
and temperature reduction
Heat Change in Initial water Final water Water Water Water Water
requirement, temperature , temperature, temperature requirements, requirements, requirements, requirements,
O O after heat pump, m3/s
kW C C m3/h m3/d l/s
O
C
10000 1 8 7 2.39 8 604 206 501 2 387
10000 2 8 6 1.20 4 302 103 250 1 193
10000 3 8 5 0.80 2 868 68 834 796
10000 4 8 4 0.60 2 151 51 625 597
50000 1 8 7 11.95 43 021 1 032 505 11 933
50000 2 8 6 5.98 21 511 516 252 5 967
50000 3 8 5 3.98 14 340 344 168 3 978
50000 4 8 4 2.99 10 755 258 126 2 983

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Prospective locations of heat
pump

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 Conclusion

• The aim was to find the necessary

amount of water that will needed in
heat pump plant.
• With spreadsheet model can
calculate different solutions and
find best result.

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 Conclusion

• Closed oil shale mines have been

filled with groundwater, it would be
useful to get one part heat
production from water through heat
pumps.
• Water has a certain temperature all
year round (7...9oC).
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 Pilot project

• First heat pump, based on mine

water starts working in Kiikla
settlement in 2011.
• If the pilot project is successful,
there could be invested to others
heat pump plants too.

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THANK YOU

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