Abstract
The use of foundation structures (piles) coupled to a heat pump system, commonly referred to as geothermal energy pile (GEP) system, provides a renewable energy solution of achieving space heating and cooling in buildings; whilst also being utilised for the structural stability of the overlying structures. The system operates by exchanging the low-grade heat energy within the shallow earth surface with the building, via the circulation of heat carrier fluid enclosed in a high-density polyethylene plastic pipes. In summer, heat energy is extracted from the building and transferred into the ground to achieve space cooling. While in winter, the ground heat energy is harnessed and transferred to the building to achieve sustainable space heating. This paper investigates the thermal performance of group of GEP system under the effects of different initial soil pore water content. Through the five-year simulation’s period, it was found that the increase in soil pore water content decreases the possibility of thermal interaction between the GEPs in the group. Also, it was observed that the trend in maximum temperature witnessed within the soil domain decreases nonlinearly during the five years period.
Highlights
Geothermal energy pile (GEP) system comprises the process of coupling ground heat exchangers with heat pump units to harness the low-grade heat energy within the shallow earth surface for the purpose of space heating and/or cooling in buildings
This paper presented the results of numerical simulations investigating the behaviour of group of GEPs, and how that is influenced by the increase in soil pore water content
The continuous heating and cooling cycles of the GEPs, during the 5 years of numerical simulations, resulted in continuous decrease in temperature trend at the observed locations (i.e. A and B). This could be as a result of the continuous heat injection and extraction mode without allowing the system any opportunity to recover throughout the period of the numerical simulations
Summary
Geothermal energy pile (GEP) system comprises the process of coupling ground heat exchangers with heat pump units to harness the low-grade heat energy within the shallow earth surface for the purpose of space heating and/or cooling in buildings. In a situation where the heating or cooling demand is greater, other means of heating and cooling methods should be used to supplement for the resultant overall energy demand [2] This ensures that excessive ground temperature deficit, due to the space heating operation; or ground temperature build-up, owing to the corresponding space cooling operation is avoided to safeguard the efficiency of the heat exchanger unit, and the GEP system. Factors such as soil initial temperature, soil thermal conductivity and diffusivity, soil initial moisture content, groundwater flow, soil type, soil chemical and minerals composition etc. The initial soil pore water content was varied from fully dry, unsaturated and saturated conditions during the different numerical simulations
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