The Bochum University of Applied Sciences in Germany has officially started operations of “GeoStar 2.0” – a walk-in underground shaft that provides a close view to the inner workings of the university’s geothermal heating and cooling system.
Located within the Bochum campus, the GeoStar 2.0 looks from the outside like a stylish seating area with a small plexiglass dome in the middle. However, the dome opens up into an underground shaft that can be accessed by a spiral staircase. Inside this shaft, visitors can see where twelve geothermal probes come together and are distributed to provide either heating or cooling to lecture hall B9.
The “GeoStar” name comes from the innovative system of drilling several geothermal boreholes in a circular pattern with the distribution shaft at the center. The aim for this is to provide room for the system to grow in case of increased demand or new development areas.
Work on GeoStar 2.0 started back in 2018 following the donation of the large plastic cylinder that served as the central shaft worth around EUR 30,000 by the companies Kubatec Kunststoffbautechnik GmbH and WiRoTec HENZE GmbH. However, it took years to be able to complete the project in its current presentable form.
At the inauguration, Vice President Prof. Dr. Jörg Frochte described the GeoStar 2.0 as a window that makes the otherwise invisible process of geothermal heating and cooling more visible and tangible. Jonas Güldenhaupt, drilling master at Fraunhofer IEG, said that GeoStar 2.0 is the first project that makes tangible the star-shaped alignment of the probes.
With the GeoStar 2.0 now providing a view to previously unseen geothermal operations, plans for further visibility via an augmented reality app are being considered.
Exhibitions showing the inner workings of geothermal projects has been an effective tool for enhancing public awareness and acceptance in many regions around the world. Some of the most notable examples are in the Hellisheidi geothermal power plant in Iceland, the Larderello Museum of Geothermal in Italy, and the relatively recently opened Qingshui Geothermal Education Center in Taiwan.
Source: Bochum University of Applied Sciences / Hochschule Bochum
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