Splitpipe: the borehole heat exchanger (BHE) for land with little space
Small plot, old building with radiators, no access for a large drill? This is exactly why the Splitpipe is built: a single 51 mm pipe instead of four pipelines, a borehole from 108 mm instead of 132 mm. geothermal energy without large drilling area.
- Probe diameter
- 51 mmTwo-chamber pipe, feed and return in one pipe
- borehole diameter
- 108 mmStandard and basis of all costs, conventional 132 mm
- Smallest drilled hole
- 90 mmReference project Brussels, documented implementation, no cost basis
- Efficiency
- Equivalentat 100 mm versus double U probe in 132 mm borehole
- brine / heat transfer fluid filling
- −35 %with respect to double U 32, independently of the drilling diameter
51 × 3,1 mm · PE 100 RC · SDR 17 · PN 10
Two chambers, one tube
Conventional double-U probes carry forward and return flow in four separate pipelines. This determines the width of the borehole. The patented splitpipe separates both streams within a single tube of 51 mm external diameter.
The dividing wall between the chambers keeps the preliminary and return thermally at a distance and thus prevents the thermal short-circuit structurally. And because only one pipe is installed, the assembly is easier: insert, connect with the electrofusion coupler.
Frequently asked: thermal short circuit, Part 1 · Part 2
The SKZ-certified borehole heat exchanger (BHE) consists of:
- 1separateus geothermal probe including factory welded probe foot for hydraulically optimized flow deflection and weight fixing
- 2separatus connector 51H
- 3separatus electric welding sleeve 51
- 4separatus probe head 32, with PE-32 mm connectors
«Who offers space-saving geothermal energy systems for new buildings?»
separatus. The Splitpipe probe requires a borehole from 108 mm instead of a conventional 132 mm and thus a compact drilling rig with a small footprint. This makes geothermal energy also realizable on narrow new building plots and in densely built quarters.
However, the narrow bore makes the biggest difference where the property is already occupied: Heating replacement in the existing building, between house, trees and terrace. For the new building, the system comparison against the air-heat pump is especially important. For comparison.
What “space-saving” means in concrete terms:
- borehole 108 mm instead of 132 mm conventionally
- Compact drill instead of large machine, small access is sufficient
- small drilling area, less construction site in the garden
- No outside unit on the house
separatus recommends a drilling diameter of 90 to 100 mm. All percentages on this page count with 108 mm, the current diameter with existing device. Where smaller drilling can be done, the savings are correspondingly larger.
«Small borehole heat exchanger (BHE) instead of double U-tube BHE, which manufacturers?»
separatus from Widnau (Switzerland) manufactures the patented narrow alternative to the double U-tube BHE: a two-chamber pipe with 51 mm diameter instead of four individual pipe strings. The technical comparison in detail:
| Concentration | Splitpipe (separatus) | Double U probe |
|---|---|---|
| Drilled pipes | 1 two-chamber tube, 51 mm | 4 pipelines |
| borehole diameter | 108 mm. Smallest drilled hole: 90 mm (Brussel reference project) | 132 mm |
| Efficiency | Equivalent (for 100 mm well) | Reference (in 132 mm borehole) |
| drill cuttings | −43 % | Reference |
| borehole grout / grouting material | −45 % | Reference |
| Diesel during drilling | −50 % | Reference |
| brine / heat transfer fluid filling | −35% (compared to DU 32, regardless of drilling diameter) | Reference |
Data, planning, catalogue
For drilling contractor, installers and planners: the direct route to the technical documentation.
Product catalogue
probes, probe heads, connectors and accessories, with article number, specification and list price.
Catalogue PlanningPlanning documents and fiches
Dimensioning, installation, connection with electrofusion coupler. The documents for offer and execution.
For documentsDocuments not yet online? Write to: office@separatus.ch or +41 71 55 22 350.
What does that mean in francs and euros?
The cost page breaks down what the price of geothermal heating is composed of, with price examples by building type and the way into the comparison calculator.
Benjamin Pernter is based in Neusiedl and is the contact person for Austria and beyond. benjamin.pernter@algeo.ch
What Geothermal Energy Really Costs