A novel solution for vertical borehole heat exchangers in multilayered ground with the Robin boundary condition

Abstract

The ground surface condition is crucial in the thermal analysis of borehole heat exchange (BHE) systems, as it directly influences the thermal regime within the subsurface. However, most existing analytical solutions assume a constant temperature at the ground surface equal to the undisturbed ground temperature, overlooking the impact of various anthropogenic and environmental factors that alter ground surface conditions. This study addresses this gap by proposing a new semi-analytical solution that incorporates the Robin boundary condition for BHEs in multilayered ground. The solution, developed using the unsteady surface element method, balances computational efficiency with analytical precision. The proposed solution was verified with an exact solution in a homogeneous body, showing a maximum error of approximately 0.2 %. Compared with prescribing a constant temperature at the ground surface, using a Robin boundary condition better captures the heat exchange between the ground and the surrounding environment. The results show that variations in the heat transfer coefficient at the ground surface can cause differences in the mean borehole wall temperature change of up to 7.45 % over about 31.7 years (109 s) for a 70-metre borehole. Meanwhile, a unit heat flux at the ground surface can raise the mean borehole wall temperature by 0.56 °C for a heat transfer coefficient of 0.25 Wm−2K−1 over 31.7 years. Additionally, the circulating fluid can transmit the impact of the ground surface condition to greater depths. The results indicate that even at the bottom of a 70-metre borehole, using a fixed temperature can underestimate the temperature change by up to 6.11 % over 31.7 years compared with using the Robin boundary condition. These findings emphasize the indispensability of the proposed solution for accurately predicting the thermal performance of BHEs.