Mock-up Experiments Research Articles

Валідація пакета програм MCPV з безперервною за енергією бібліотекою мікроскопічних констант

The results of the validation of the code package MCPV for the calculation of radiation transport within VVER-1000 reactor type near-vessel space using a continuous-energy data library are presented. The validation is carried out based on the experimental data obtained in mock-up and full-scale experiments. It is shown that the code package MCPV can be used to simulate neutrons and gamma quanta transport through the complicated heterogeneous environment of a nuclear reactor and to obtain the valid values of the functionals of the neutron and gamma fluxes within VVER-1000 near-vessel space.

Application of plasma cutting in mock-up experiments for decommissioning of internals in heavy water research reactor

The dismantling of internal components within the reactor is one of the primary technical activities in the reactor decommissioning project. Currently, the first nuclear reactor in China, heavy water research reactor (HWRR), is in the phase of decommissioning. By integrating the characteristics of the HWRR with both domestic and international cutting technology experience, plasma cutting has been identified as a suitable and commonly used technique for cutting the reactor internals. Considering that the decommissioning process of nuclear facilities is irreversible, it is essential to conduct mock-up experiments to acquire cutting performance parameters for the cutter prior to decommissioning of the reactor internals, which not only helps optimize the decommissioning plan but also provides data support for decommissioning practices. Based on the characteristics of the outer shell, within the HWRR, parameters such as cutting current, workpiece thickness, cutting speed, working angle, and nozzle standoff were selected for the plasma cutting experiments. Through orthogonal experiments, cutting current, workpiece thickness, and cutting speed were identified as key factors influencing the performance of plasma cutting. Based on the previous research, the maximum cutting speed and workpiece quality loss under various cutting conditions were determined through special experiments. Finally, using the outer shell mock-up of the HWRR as the experimental object and combining it with the decommissioning path provided by simulation, it was demonstrated that the optimal operating parameters obtained from the previous experiments can be successfully applied to practical outer shell cutting.

Possibility of Fire Spreading Owing to Radiant Heat from Fire Shutters in Logistics Facilities

The mock-up experiments were conducted to confirm the possibility of fire spreading, such as ignition of commodities (e.g., cardboard boxes), owing to the radiant heat, in the event of a fire in the fire shutter, which is the main fire compartment element that forms the fire compartment of logistics facilities. From the experiment, it was found that commodities located at a distance of 1, 2, and 3 m from the fire shutter can be ignited by the radiant heat of the fire shutter in the event of a fire, which can affect the spread of the fire. Therefore, to prevent the spread of the fire to neighboring fire compartments in the event of a fire in logistics facilities, it is necessary to restrict the placement of commodities within a certain separation distance from the fire shutter or install a fire shutter with radiant heat limiting performance. It is important to improve standards related to fire shutters in logistics facilities.

Transient temperature and water distributions in compacted MX80 bentonite under high temperature gradients

Numerous element-scale and full-scale tests have been carried out on compacted bentonite to investigate its coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) behavior when used as a buffer material in high-level nuclear waste geological repositories, such as the Full-scale Engineered Barriers Experiment (FEBEX) and its forerunner laboratory mock-up test [5]. In these past studies the applied temperatures were below 100°C, while new repository conditions being explored in the recently started HotBENT project at the Grimsel Test Site involve waste canister temperatures up to 200°C [2]. Recently, Lu and McCartney [3] conducted a tank scale test where a temperature of 200°C was maintained by a cylindrical heating element having a diameter of 12.5 mm at the center of a compacted MX80 bentonite layer. A notable temperate drop in temperature was observed with distance from the small diameter heating element. A similar phenomenon was also reported by Gens et al. (2020) for heating tests on MX80 pellets during heating to 140°C. Measurements from the FEBEX project indicate a more distributed temperature decay away from the heater [3]. This discrepancy between laboratory and field tests provided the motivation for better understanding the temperature and water distribution near a heater under high temperature gradients to better guide the design of laboratory-scale experiments in the future.
 A one-dimensional heating test was performed in this study to investigate the coupled THM response of a MX80 bentonite layer in unconstrained conditions during basal heating. Measurements include the transient temperature and volumetric water content redistribution at different vertical distances from the flat plate heater under high-temperature gradients as well as global volumetric strains. Three dielectric sensors (Decagon 5TM) were placed into a compacted MX80 layer having an initial gravimetric water content of 12.2% and a dry density of 1.15 Mg/m3 within a PVC modified Proctor mold (inner diameter of 152 mm and height of 178 mm), as shown in Figure 1(a). Low-density polyethylene sheeting was stretched across the top and bottom of the soil layers to minimize any global loss of water from the compacted bentonite layer during heating. A temperature-controlled hot plate was used as the basal heat source, and a dial indicator was mounted on the top of the soil layer to measure volume changes. Fiberglass insulation was wrapped around the cell to minimize lateral heat loss from the side boundary. A basal temperature of 128°C was maintained during a heating stage lasting 4000 h to ensure THM equilibrium, after which three short-term (96 h for each) cooling-heating cycles were applied. Results indicate that soil temperatures increase rapidly in the first 20 h of heating then gradually stabilize (Figure 1(b)). The volumetric water content increases at the beginning of heating then slowly decreases (Figure 1(c)). This increasing-decreasing trend is due to the upward movement of a wetting front away from the heater due to coupled heat transfer and water flow. An initial increase in volumetric strain (swelling) was followed by a decrease (contraction) as heating progressed (Figure 1(d)). This is consistent with the observed thermal response of normally consolidated expansive soils (e.g., [4]). A sharp monotonic decrease in volumetric strain occurred during the three short-term cooling-heating cycles. The temperature and water content follow nearly identical trajectories in each cycle. The temperature distribution in the bentonite with distance from the heating element after 4000 h of heating is smoother than the sharp drop-off in temperature from the small-diameter heater observed by Lu and McCartney [3], as shown in (Figure 1(f)). The main implication of the results presented in this study is that the surface area of the heater in contact with the surrounding bentonite plays a major role in the temperature distribution and the associated coupled water flow. This is a critical finding that may help guide the geometric design of small-scale laboratory mock-up experiments used to study THM processes in controlled laboratory conditions.

Estimation of inhomogeneous occupational exposure to the lens of the eyes and the extremities of radiation workers in a research accelerator facility.

We performed an experimental investigation on occupational exposure of the eye lens and the extremity of radiation workers engaged in handling of highly activated materials in a small research accelerator facility. Using a simplified physical phantom to simulate the relevant inhomogeneous radiation exposure situations, the personal dose equivalents obtained at the eye lens and the extremities of radiation workers handling heavily radioactive converters were measured together with the dose measured by personal dosemeters worn on their trunk. Results of mockup experiments and the Monte Carlo calculations suggest that the quantitative estimation of the eye lens doses can be estimated from the trunk dose, while the extremity doses vary considerably from the dose readings from the trunk, depending on the use of simple point-source or volume source geometry.

Cooling capacity evaluation of thermally activated light shelf (TALS) systems

A light shelf is typically used to improve the lighting environment by preventing glares and increasing illuminance in interior zones. If its surfaces can be utilized as cooling surfaces it can also be used to control the thermal environment, particularly in perimeter zones. In this study, the concept of a thermally activated light shelf (TALS), wherein a chilled water pipe is embedded in a light shelf, was proposed, and its cooling capacity was experimentally evaluated. As the upper and lower surfaces are exposed to indoor air and cooling loads, which are different from those of conventional radiant cooling panels, a mock-up test chamber was developed to represent the cooling load applied to both the upper and lower surfaces of the TALS. Mock-up experiments were conducted to evaluate the cooling capacity of the TALS alternatives: TALS with thermal insulation (INS case), cavity air (AIR case), and DC fans (FAN case). Compared with the baseline (INS case), the cooling capacities of the AIR and FAN cases were enhanced by 9.4–29.4% and 22.7–53.1%, respectively, because both the upper and lower surfaces could be utilized as cooling surfaces. Based on the experimental results, cooling capacity curves were derived to provide generalized cooling capacity data considering various cooling load conditions, operating conditions (e.g., chilled water temperature and room air temperature), and layer configurations of the TALS.

Mock-up experimental study on the performance of a combined cooling-domestic hot water-ground source heat pump system

A ground source heat pump (GSHP) delivers heat from a condenser to the ground when it operates with cooling mode. However, the ground temperature increases when the GSHP system operates for a long time. The increased ground temperature can deteriorate the GSHP’s coefficient of performance (COP). To maintain the balance between the ground temperature and COP, the condensation heat from the cooling GSHP can be used for other heating systems before it is transferred to the ground. This study proposes a combined GSHP system connecting a three RT cooling GSHP with a 1.5 RT domestic hot water (DHW) heat pump, and the performance of the system was evaluated through mock-up experiments. In the combined GSHP system, the condensation heat of the cooling system was used as the heat source of the DHW system. Therefore, the ground temperature could be reduced, and the performances of both the GSHP cooler and DHW heater pump could be enhanced. Mock-up experiments for performance evaluation were conducted with cooling-only, DHW-only, and cooling-DHW operational modes. The results showed that cooling-DHW operation slowed down the change in heat source temperature. In comparison with those of the cooling-only and DWH-only heat pumps, the COPs of the cooling heat pump and DHW heat pump of the combined system were increased by 12.93% and 15.47%, respectively. Moreover, the total COP of the cooling-DHW combined GSHP system increased by 4.4% and 29.55% in comparison with those of the cooling-only GSHP and DHW-only GSHP systems, respectively. Practical application A combined GSHP system was proposed by connecting a GSHP for space cooling with a heat pump for DHW to mitigate the ground temperature changes due to the long-term operation of the GSHP system. The combined system reuses the condensation heat generated by the cooling heat pump as the heat source of the DHW heat pump for ensuring the system performance and building energy saving. Therefore, this system is suitable for buildings with large energy use and heavy hot water demand, especially in summer, such as hospital and hotel buildings.

Experimental investigation on the thermal performance of a domestic gas boiler for space heating with different heating load ratio

This study explores the effects of heating demand and hot water temperature on energy efficiency in a domestic gas boiler (DGB). Mock-up experiments were conducted using two types of boilers with different capacities (i.e., 11.6 kW and 23.3 kW of non-condensing boilers, 16.3 kW of condensing boiler) for comparative analysis. As results, for space heating, the efficiencies of non-condensing boilers (i.e., 11.6 kW and 23.3 kW) and condensing boiler (i.e., 16.3 kW) decreased by 12-44%, 15-46%, and 2-22% respectively as the heating load ratios were changed from 100%-25%. When the supply hot water temperature settings decreased from 55℃ to 45℃, the efficiencies were reduced by 13.6% (11.6 kW) and 53.3% (23.3 kW). For the condensing boiler, an efficiency reduction rate was 16.7% as the hot water temperatures dropped from 45℃ to 35℃. Also, since the boiler capacity depends on domestic hot water (DHW) load, the daily heating demands of space heating and DHW load were analyzed. In the results, reducing the lower limit of heating output could be more effective in improving the boiler efficiency for space heating. To provide sufficient DHW demand, it is required to maintain the upper limit of the heating output.

Cooling performance evaluation of a fan-assisted ceiling radiant cooling panel system

Ceiling radiant cooling panel (CRCP) systems have been widely used for space cooling owing to high thermal comfort and energy efficiency. However, it has been reported that the cooling capacity of CRCP systems can be limited because panel surface temperature should be maintained above the dew-point temperature in order to avoid the condensation risk. Previous studies showed that this limitation can be overcome by applying air flow to the panel surface using parallel HVAC systems. However, as additional costs and space are required to install parallel HVAC systems, a simple and low-cost system needs to be considered to enhance the cooling capacity. In this context, the present study was conducted to develop a fan-assisted ceiling radiant cooling panel (FCRCP) system wherein small and low-cost fans are associated with the CRCP, in order to minimize the modification of architectural or mechanical elements. To evaluate the performance of this system, mock-up experiments were conducted to evaluate the cooling performance of the FCRCP system. Numerical analysis was also performed to compare the cooling performance of various FCRCP alternatives. The cooling performance was analyzed for the thermal environment and cooling capacity depending on the type, location, and arrangement of the fans. Simulation results showed that the FCRCP can enhance the cooling capacity by 73–112 %, reduce the indoor temperature by 0.4–0.9 °C, and elevate the air velocity by up to 0.17–0.33 m/s, when compared to conventional CRCP system.

Holistic digital-twin-based framework to improve tunnel lighting environment: From methodology to application

The design of the lighting environment inside the tunnel has a profound impact on the long-term operation of the tunnel. The existing field studies, full-scale experiments and simulation methods, mostly focus on the luminance level inside the tunnel, ignoring the effect of the luminaires and decorations from the visual perspective. This paper proposed a novel digital-twin-based integral method, including virtual world design (the virtual reality (VR) experiment and the numerical simulation) and real-world validation (the tunnel mock-up experiment and the field experiment), to improve the design of the luminaires and decorations in the interior zone of the tunnel. The VR experiment and numerical simulation in lighting software were firstly conducted to determine the lighting parameters. Then the obtained lighting scheme was tested and validated in the real scenarios, where tunnel mock-up experiments and field experiments were conducted respectively. According to the results from the numerical simulations and VR experiments, the double-side luminance scheme is more conducive to driving safety and once the power of the luminaires is excessive low, the driver's attention variation rate is also unsatisfied. Moreover, the use of the anti-collision lower-side luminaires enhances the luminance level of the road surface and the sidewall to a certain level. The obtained lighting scheme was applied in a newly built tunnel in Hangzhou. The statistics of accidents data indicate that the installed luminaires and decorations, which are obtained from virtual simulation, can provide a considerably safe lighting environment. Ten months of accident statistics show that the breakdown rate in this tunnel was only 10% of the similar tunnels, and the accident rate was only 3%, thus the safety and environmental performance have been proved to be significantly improved.

Ultrasonic-based tensile force estimation for cylindrical rod at various temperature conditions

This study presents the development of a tensile force estimation technique based on the ultrasonic bulk wave for cylindrical rod in a suspension bridge anchor system. Three piezoelectric macro fiber composites (MFC) transducers are installed on the surface of a cylindrical rod specimen for the generation and sensing of ultrasonic bulk waves. Ultrasonic responses are obtained at various tensile force levels and temperature conditions, and the relationship between the time lag of the ultrasonic response and the tensile force is established. In particular, the temperature effect on the tensile force estimation is theoretically derived and compensated for field applications. The originality of this study includes (1) theoretical derivation and investigation of the relationship between an applied tensile force level and the time lag of an ultrasonic response considering the variations of temperature, density, and elastic modulus, (2) development of a tensile force estimation and temperature compensation technique without temperature measurement, and (3) application to the tensile force estimation of the rod structure commonly used in a suspension bridge anchor system. The performance of the developed tensile force estimation technique was examined based on mock-up experiments of the rod structure of a real suspension bridge anchor system.

Assessment of effect of climate change on hygrothermal performance of cross-laminated timber building envelope with modular construction

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) modular construction possesses the advantages of wood, such as excellent carbon storage and thermal insulation, and of modular construction, such as considerably reduced construction period and cost as well as high productivity. This study evaluates the hygrothermal performance of CLT walls considering modular construction in future climatic conditions. Firstly, CLT walls with plywood applied to a core layer were manufactured. A mock-up of a CLT building was produced and its construction process was analyzed. Hygrothermal behavior of the CLT walls was simulated using WUFI simulation program, and the predicted results were verified against measurements obtained from the mock-up experiment. Finally, the hygrothermal performance of the CLT wall was evaluated for four types of insulation and future climate in eight cities of USA. The coefficient of variation—root mean square error (CV(RMSE))—of the temperature and relative humidity inside the ply-lam CLT wall from mock-up experiments and simulation evaluation were 6.43% and 7.02%, respectively, which met the validation criteria. Based on the hygrothermal performance, the ply-lam CLT wall with extruded polystyrene insulation was evaluated as safe from moisture problems in all the eight cities considered in this study. However, the risk of mold growth in all regions and insulation types increased under climate change with a rise of average annual temperature.

Experimental investigation on the control performance of an active chilled beam system under dynamic cooling loads

Abstract In this study, the control performance of an active chilled beam (ACB) system was investigated, in order to find the suitable control parameter for controlling room air temperature and preventing surface condensation when the cooling load suddenly increases. For this purpose, the impact of ACB control parameters on the cooling capacity was evaluated with mock-up experiments. Compared to the baseline condition in this study, the adjustment of the chilled water temperature and primary air flow rate raised the cooling capacity by 47% and 98%, respectively, while the adjustment of the chilled water flow rate and primary air temperature led to a relatively small increase in cooling capacity. In addition, the control performance of room air temperature was evaluated with the room air temperature drop for one hour after a step change in cooling load. It was observed that the room air temperature dropped 0.2 °C with chilled water temperature control and 0.7 °C with primary air flow rate control, whereas it dropped 1.0 °C with the simultaneous control of the chilled water temperature and primary air flow rate. The test results further showed that simultaneous control of the chilled water temperature and primary air flow rate is effective for preventing the surface condensation while providing the sufficient cooling capacity. The findings of this study can provide the information on the thermal behavior of ACB system, which is necessary for establishing control strategies for ACB systems.

A Novel Miniaturized Sandwich-Like Sensor for Continuous Measurement of Core Body Temperature

Core body temperature (CBT) is a basic physiological parameter that reflects the level of human metabolism and is therefore clinically important for the diagnosis of various diseases. The traditional method of CBT evaluation based on heat flux is susceptible to errors caused by horizontal heat flux and the sensor is usually large in size. In this study, a novel miniaturized sandwich-like CBT monitoring sensor (SCBTS) based on negative temperature coefficient (NTC) temperature sensor and heat flux sensor was constructed. The sandwich-like structure minimized the effect of horizontal heat flux and reduced ambient temperature disturbance. In addition, a novel numerical method was explored to predict CBT during unsteady heat flux. Effectiveness of SCBTS was verified by finite element method (FEM) simulation, mock-up experiments and human experiments. The proposed sensor was effective within the range of human body temperature fluctuations (35°C–42°C) with an average error of 0.02°C on the hot plate. In human trials, resting experiments (eight participants for 13 trials) showed 0.02°C average difference with a 95% CI of [−0.16, 0.12]°C. Furthermore, the sensor showed distinct temperature changes in different periods using exercise experiments (6 participants). The proposed SCBTS continuously monitors temperature without causing inconvenience to the subject, therefore, it is highly suitable for application.

Simulating the performance of integrated bus priority setups with microscopic traffic mockup experiments

Traffic planning should focus on the promotion of public transport to ensure sustainability. Buses have a vital role to play in this as they optimize the use of limited road space by carrying more passengers, compared to personal vehicles. This study is aimed at systematically simulating the impacts of various bus priority measures with respect to existing conditions by evaluating travel time savings, various traffic performance indicators and reliability benefits to address transportation challenges such as delays. The results obtained from the developed simulation experiments in VISSIM and the comparison with the field traffic behavior confirmed that the developed models accurately represent the actual traffic nature with less than 10% margin of error. The evaluation of the validated bus priority models showed that the priority schemes reduce bus delays by a minimum of 21.32% at intersections and some of the strategies can easily be incorporated with less investment. Because of the simulated priority attributes, the modal shift assessment result showed that 62% of other mode users have high tendency to shift to buses; except for private car users in which 66% of the users have low mode shifting interest. Policy makers and transport planners should implement priority measures to reduce delays, improve service management and reliability, as they are low-cost with highly efficient traffic management that keep buses moving and boosting mobility in areas that attract many people.

Structural Timber In Compartment Fires – The Timber Charring and Heat Storage Model

Abstract The influence of exposed timber surfaces on compartment fires has been well documented in various studies in recent decades. Yet available design concepts still typically neglect the influence of an additional fire load from linear structural timber elements such as beams and columns. As rules for large shares of exposed timber surfaces, e.g. by panels, are rare, authorities and fire safety engineers demand often mock-up compartment fire experiments to estimate the fire safety of a particular design. Such experiments, however, are costly, time consuming, and give limited insights into the potential fire scenarios and may fail to represent properly the fundamental effects arising from exposed structural timber elements in a fire. An approach to overcome these existing limitations is presented, which is able to estimate the contributions from structural timber to a fire from its fully developed- and decay phase until burnout. The model input is developed from an experimental campaign where the relevant effects of fire exposed structural timber could be isolated and measured. It was found that the energy stored in the char layer is a key characteristic for describing the fire dynamics of compartment fires with exposed structural timber. Consequently, the proposed approach describes a framework for the Timber Charring and Heat storage, the TiCHS-model. The validation of the model is shown in this paper by means of existing compartment experiments. A current limitation is the bond line integrity of the fire exposed components as the combustion characteristics of failed char pieces on the floor are currently unknown.

APPLICATION OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN INTEGRAL DATA ASSIMILATION TO IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF UH1.2 EXPERIMENT AND TRANSPOSITION TO WHOLE PWR CORE

Recent developments in the Integral Data Assimilation (IDA) methods within Bayesian framework have been achieved at CEA to tackle the problem of correlated experiments (through technological uncertainties) and neutron transport model numerical effects. Hence, reference Monte-Carlo and deterministic calculations (TRIPOLI4® and APOLLO3®) are used together to solve neutron transport equations and get the sensitivity profiles. Furthermore, the analysis of the mock-up experiments technological parameters is performed to get accurate uncertainties and correlations between the experiments (finally the covariance experimental matrix required for IDA). We apply here the IDA approach with a new, extend set of statistical indicators (Cook’s distance, Bayesian and Aikike Information criteria (BIC, AIC)) implemented in the nuclear physics CEA CONRAD code, to the integral experiments UH1.2 in reference and voided configurations (standard PWR fuel assembly in the EOLE mock-up reactor). The adjusted multigroup cross-sections and posterior covariances are compared by choosing different ingredients in the assimilation process. Finally, the investigated key neutron parameters; reactivity, reactivity worth (void effects) and fissions rates are transposed (with the same CONRAD code) to a standard PWR core. This in-depth analysis enables us to predict the residual uncertainties and biases due to the multigroup cross-section adjustments assessing at the same time the similarity of these integral experiments for the main PWR neutronic safety parameters. In addition, technological parameters uncertainties and their impact on Bayesian adjustment process are taken into account through a global experimental covariance matrix. We point out that the UH1.2 experiments bring relevant additional information to PWR keff calculations reducing significantly the posterior results but are less relevant for fission rate distribution in reference and voided configurations.

Positive role of the long luminescence lifetime of upconversion nanophosphors on resonant surfaces for ultra-compact filter-free bio-assays.

We introduce a compact array fluorescence sensor principle that takes advantage of the long luminescence lifetimes of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) to deploy a filter-free, optics-less contact geometry, advantageous for modern biochemical assays of biomolecules, pollutants or cells. Based on technologically mature CMOS chips for ∼10 kHz technical/scientific imaging, we propose a contact geometry between assayed molecules or cells and a CMOS chip that makes use of only a faceplate or direct contact, employing time-window management to reject the 975 nm excitation light of highly efficient UCNPs. The chip surface is intended to implement, in future devices, a resonant waveguide grating (RWG) to enhance excitation efficiency, aiming at the improvement of upconversion luminescence emission intensity of UCNP deposited atop of such an RWG structure. Based on mock-up experiments that assess the actual chip rejection performance, we bracket the photometric figures of merit of such a promising chip principle and predict a limit of detection around 10-100 nanoparticles.

Numerical benchmark of SuperMC3.2 with HCPB mock-up experiment

In fusion reactors, the blanket is one of the crucial components which play the key role of breeding tritium. This is necessary because there sufficient external tritium supply is not available for fusion reactors. Furthermore, blankets have to provide shielding for ex-vessel components, which are sensitive to the radiation (e.g., Toroidal Field (TF) superconductor coils). To support the development of blanket in EU, two mock-up neutronics experiments based on two European blanket conceptual designs: the Helium Cooled Pebble Bed (HCBP), and the Helium Cooled Lithium Lead (HCLL) have been conducted to validate computational tools and qualify nuclear data. In this work, SuperMC-a nuclear design and safety evaluation software system, developed by FDS Team was validated with HCBP mock-up experiment. SuperMC calculations results are compared with experimental results from SINBAD 2016. The results showed good agreements of reaction rates for the activated foils and tritium production rate (TPR) of the mock-up experiment. This result indicates that SuperMC is a valid and promising 3D neutronics simulation tool for supporting design and safety analysis of fusion reactors such as DEMO.

Solar hybrid road: from concept to modeling and lab scale mock-up experiments

We present in this paper the concept of solar hybrid road and the numerical model studied and develop to compute its thermal state at any time step. The aim of these new structures is to collect part of the solar radiation during the summer period, to prevent from icing at the surface during the winter period. As it is reversible, it will help also to prevent from a too high structure temperature (in particular closed to the surface) in summer season. Two types of modifications, compared to traditional structures are presented. The first one concerns the insertion of a porous layer allowing a heat fluid to exchange thermal energy. The second one concerns the use of a semi-transparent material at pavement surface allowing the solar radiation to penetrate deeper in the structure. The numerical model of this multi-physics problem develop with the finite element method is presented and discussed. A validation on two test cases is proposed. First results on energy harvesting evaluation for few locations (i.e. climatic conditions) in France are presented and discussed. Finally, conclusion and perspectives are proposed.