The networking meeting of the RENI project, which took place on 20 May 2025 at the RINGEN Research Centre, focused on hydrogeological aspects and risks of drilling. Nearly seventy representatives from the scientific and corporate field were engaged in linking theoretical knowledge with practical applications.
A large part of the lectures concerned the issue of boreholes for heat pumps. Michal Havlík from Geosan, s.r.o. emphasized the importance of vertical drilling, especially in urban environments where space requirements are increasing. In cities, many boreholes are drilled at small spacings and often conflict with other installations in the vicinity. The inclination of boreholes can reach several tens of degrees from the vertical and there is a risk of collision between them. Moreover, in Prague, large underground structures such as tunnels or the subway have to be taken into account. Based on the verticality measurements, it is possible to create a 3D shape of the borehole field and thus assess the risk of intersection of boreholes or impact on surrounding land.
During the lecture on mathematical modelling of heat propagation, Matěj Černý from PROGEO, s.r.o. mentioned the results of an interesting research dealing with the extraction of thermal energy from the rock environment of tunnel structures. Over 800 W of heat was extracted from a small experimental area of 15 x 2.5 m at maximum. This method of heat extraction is very promising in an increasingly urbanised world and deserves further research.
Mathematical modelling was also used to explain the issue of so-called "cooling" of geothermal borehole plots, where measured data from a semi-operational experiment made on a real rock sample were evaluated using heat flux simulation. A virtual cube of rock was used as a model, which was given an average ground heat flux of 50 mW/m2. Boundary conditions were specified on the surface of the model based, among other things, on solar radiation intensity data measured by a real weather station during the year. The model results extrapolated to a 30-year period showed that after six years the temperature conditions around the borehole had stabilised. It was not until the end of the thirty-year period that the model showed cold penetration from the lower layers of the model. The heat of the rock mass is depleted over a period of several decades only if there is no groundwater in the area to replenish the heat.
The participants also learned about new legislation concerning the design of boreholes for heat pumps. "A major novelty in terms of the new building regulations is that the new Building Act abolishes the competence of the water authorities as special building authorities and unifies the existing zoning and building procedures into one procedure for permitting the project," pointed out Svatopluk Šeda from FINGEO, s.r.o.
A lot of interest was aroused by the multifunctional Geoprobe device with HPT probe, presented by Jan Kukačka from DEKONTA, a.s., which enables direct measurement of hydraulic properties of sediments and at the same time immediate identification of contamination, thus saving time and resources. Other lectures included monitoring the technical condition of wells, information on the diagnosis of aging wells, methods of their regeneration and professional disposal.
In addition to networking meetings and conferences, the RENI project is also planning to organise open days and training courses. "We plan to make university facilities available and to organise open training courses for smaller groups of interested companies, focusing for example on data processing or working with software. These courses will be free of charge for companies," explains Martin Slavík from the Faculty of Science of Charles University, the organiser of the event in Litoměřice.
About the project
The RENI project - Research Institutions and Enterprises Network for Infrastructure aims to foster collaboration and innovation between SMEs and research institutions in the geosciences and geotechnology disciplines. The project focuses on the Karlovy Vary, Ústí nad Liberec regions on the Czech side and on selected regions of the Saxon state on the German side. The key point is the exchange of knowledge and the strengthening of the sectoral infrastructure in these border areas.
The project results include in particular the project website, which serves as a platform for making available all documents from meetings, lectures and networking sessions. In its second half, the project will also focus on the initiation of innovative practices and approaches, for example in the field of slope stability. The project is intended to serve as a launching platform for long-term collaboration between practice and research bodies.
The project is led under the auspices of the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden and its partners include Charles University and the Technical University of Liberec on the Czech side, Hochschule Zittau Görlitz and the company Jähnig GmbH Felssicherung und Zaunbau on the German side. The meeting at the RINGEN Research Centre was organised by representatives of Charles University. The project (No. 100686680) is 80% financed by the EU (total amount of the grant is 1.294.215,51 €) within the Interreg Czech-Saxon programme.
The presentations are available on the project website HERE.
Project contact person:
Mgr. Martin Slavík, Ph.D.: martin.slavik@natur.cuni.cz
doc. RNDr. Jiří Mls, CSc.: mls@natur.cuni.cz
| More: | https://www.reni-netw.org/index.php/de/ |
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