Iskanje po repozitoriju

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Povzetek: Beneath the Earth’s surface lies a network of interconnected caves, voids, and systems of fissures forming in rocks of sed-imentary, igneous, or metamorphic origin. Although largely inaccessible to humans, this hidden realm supports and reg-ulates services critical to ecological health and human well-being. Subterranean ecosystems are integral to majorbiogeochemical cycles, sustain diverse surface habitats, and serve as the primary source of irrigation and drinking water.They also offer non-material benefits, including scientific discovery, education, and cultural practices. Yet, these contri-butions often go unrecognised, partly due to the lack of a unified synthesis of ecosystem services across terrestrial, fresh-water, and marine subterranean compartments. This gap limits effective communication of their value to scientists,practitioners, and the public. Through a systematic expert-based review, we show that subterranean ecosystems contrib-ute to up to 75% of classified ecosystem services. Notably, many of these contributions are described only qualitatively,lacking numerical or economic quantification. Next, we list examples of the main ecosystem services provided by subter-ranean systems to offer a global overview of their multifaceted value and vulnerability to environmental change. Webelieve this synthesis provides researchers and practitioners with concrete examples to communicate more effectivelythe importance of subterranean ecosystems to diverse audiences.
Ključne besede: groundwater, hypogean, nature value, drinking water, food production, biotechnology, geothermal energy, sustainability, ecotourism, cultural heritage
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 02.03.2026; Ogledov: 106; Prenosov: 91
Celotno besedilo (70,04 KB)
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Povzetek: Stable subsurface temperatures provide a reliable source of shallow geothermal energy. This research is one of a few that investigates the potential of closed-loop systems for cold storage facilities. We listed 47 cold storage facilities in Slovenia and evaluated the capacity of two 50 m deep borehole heat exchangers that would penetrate one of five intergranular aquifers. As the Slovenian legislation does not define temperature thresholds of the heat carrier fluid, we applied – 3 °C and +24 °C as conservative boundary conditions. First, we quantified the possible amount of injected waste heat with the analytical model (EED) using seven scenarios. Further, we upgraded our results with the three scenarios in the numerical model (FEFLOW), including groundwater flow. The calculation revealed that the optimal natural conditions for geothermal cooling of cold storages are in the Sava Basin, where fast groundwater flow (7.2 m/day) increases possible injected heat in numerical calculation to more than 900 % compared to analytical calculation. Cooling capacities decrease from the Sava to Drava, Mura, Savinja and Krško Basins. Our research quantitatively confirms that areas with groundwater flow are more conductive to restoring underground temperatures through the injection of waste heat from cooling cold storages than areas without groundwater flow.
Ključne besede: shallow geothermal energy, cold storage facility, intergranular aquifer, heat load, groundwater flow, Slovenia
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 28.08.2025; Ogledov: 621; Prenosov: 178
Celotno besedilo (14,49 MB)

Povzetek: Since the heating and cooling sectors consume most of the energy in Europe through fossil fuels, the transition to a low-carbon and sustainable energy system is crucial. Underground Thermal Energy Storage (UTES) systems, such as aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) and borehole thermal energy storage (BTES), offer promising solutions by enabling seasonal storage of renewable thermal energy, balancing the mismatch between supply and demand. ATES and BTES systems store excess heat or cold for later use, making them suitable for large-scale applications like residual heat storage from industrial or power generation processes by offering flexibility in heating and cooling. This review explores the geological and hydrogeological requirements for ATES and BTES systems, pointing out the importance of basic geological knowledge, laboratory and field investigations, and operational monitoring to optimize their performance. The study highlights the need for Slovenia to use the experiences of other European nations to overcome initial challenges, develop effective site evaluation methods, and integrate these systems into existing energy infrastructure.
Ključne besede: underground thermal energy storage, seasonal heat storage, pilot BTES site, geothermal parameters, Slovenia
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 21.02.2025; Ogledov: 1953; Prenosov: 1806
Celotno besedilo (10,23 MB)

Povzetek: Shallow geothermal energy systems (SGES) may take different forms and have recently taken considerable attention due to energy geo-structures (EGS) resulting from the integration of heat exchange elements in geotechnical structures. Still, there is a lack of systematic design guidelines of SGES. Hence, in order to contribute towards that direction, the current study aims at reviewing the available SGES modeling options along with their various aspects and practices. This is done by first presenting the main analytical and numerical models and methods related to the thermal behavior of SGES. Then, the most important supplementary factors affecting such modeling are discussed. These include: (i) the boundary conditions, in the form of temperature variation or heat flow, that majorly affect the predicted thermal behavior of SGES; (ii) the spatial dimensions that may be crucial when relaxing the infinite length assumption for short heat exchangers such as energy piles (EP); (iii) the determination of SGES parameters that may need employing specific techniques to overcome practical difficulties; (iv) a short-term vs. long-term analysis depending on the thermal storage characteristics of GHE of different sizes; (v) the influence of groundwater that can have a moderating effect on fluid temperatures in both heating and cooling modes. Subsequently, thermo-mechanical interactions modeling issues are addressed that may be crucial in EGS that exhibit a dual functioning of heat exchangers and structural elements. Finally, a quite lengthy overview of the main software tools related to thermal and thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis of SGES that may be useful for practical applications is given. A unified software package incorporating all related features of all SGES may be a future aim.
Ključne besede: shalow geothermal energy systems, energy geo-structures, thermal analysis, thermo-hydro-mechanical, modelling, software tools
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 05.03.2024; Ogledov: 1614; Prenosov: 809
Celotno besedilo (3,10 MB)
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