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Laboratory Thermal Performance Tests on a Model Heat Exchanger Pile in Sand

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Abstract

Pile-anchored geothermal systems are increasingly being implemented as an innovative and sustainable method of harvesting shallow geothermal energy. With a view of characterizing heat exchange through geothermal piles in sand, this paper describes and analyzes results from a series of laboratory thermal performance tests on a model geothermal pile in sand. Heat carrier fluid was circulated through a U-shaped circulation tube embedded within the model concrete pile. The effects of fluid circulation velocity and initial temperature difference between soil and circulation fluid (at the inlet point) on heat transfer performance of the model pile is investigated. Temperature measurements were obtained at several locations within the test setup and data collected during the thermal tests are further used to characterize time-dependent heat exchange behavior of the model pile. Moreover, soil thermal conductivity values obtained from element thermal conductivity tests are compared with equivalent soil thermal conductivity values derived from thermal performance tests on the model pile.

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Abbreviations

A:

Cross-sectional area (m2)

Cp :

Specific heat (J kg−1 K−1)

Fo:

Fourier number (–)

K:

Thermal conductivity (W m−1 K−1)

k refs :

Thermal conductivity of sand calculated using Fourier’s law obtained from element test (W m−1 K−1)

ks :

Thermal conductivity of soil calculated using line source model obtained from element test (W m−1 K−1)

k eqs :

Equivalent thermal conductivity calculated using line source model obtained from thermal performance test (W m−1 K−1)

L:

Pile length (m)

\( {\dot{\text{m}}} \) :

Mass flow rate (kg s−1)

P:

Power output (W)

r:

Radial coordinate (m)

rt :

Radius of circulation tube (m)

rp :

Pile radius (m)

t:

Time (s)

T:

Temperature (°C)

Tin :

Temperature at circulation tube inlet (°C)

Tout :

Temperature at circulation tube outlet (°C)

ΔT:

Difference in fluid temperature between inlet and outlet points of the circulation tube (°C)

v:

Circulation velocity of the heat carrier fluid (m s−1)

α:

Thermal diffusivity (m2 s−1)

λ :

Slope of mean fluid temperature

Δθ:

Initial temperature difference between fluid inlet point and ground (°C)

ρ:

Mass density (kg m−3)

p:

Pile

s:

Soil (sand)

t:

Circulation tube

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the help from Mr. Dan Fura in setting up different components of the experimental setup described in this paper. Financial support (Grant No. 415-77 76R20) provided by the Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center (MAUTC) is greatly appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Pennsylvania State University, 213C Sackett Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Cory A. Kramer, Omid Ghasemi-Fare & Prasenjit Basu

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  1. Cory A. Kramer
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Correspondence to Prasenjit Basu.

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Kramer, C.A., Ghasemi-Fare, O. & Basu, P. Laboratory Thermal Performance Tests on a Model Heat Exchanger Pile in Sand. Geotech Geol Eng 33, 253–271 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-014-9786-z

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