IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/renene/v237y2024ipds0960148124019785.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Numerical modeling of high-velocity groundwater flow influence on the thermal-hydraulic characteristics and energy extraction from energy piles

Author

Listed:
  • Fattahian, Makan
  • Oliaei, Mohammad
  • Akbari Garakani, Amir
  • Kiani Fordoei, Mohammad Amir

Abstract

This study investigates the potential for energy extraction from energy piles under high-velocity groundwater flow, considering different soil thermodynamic properties, pile characteristics, heat-exchange pipe shapes, and thermo-hydraulic parameters. Accordingly, finite element numerical modeling was employed along with Brinkman's equation, which was then verified using three sets of previously published data. The utilization of Brinkman's equation has revealed notable differences from the traditional Darcy's law approach, particularly regarding soil thermodynamic properties. The key findings indicate that groundwater flow has minimal impact on energy output per pile length (Q/Lep) until 10−7 m/s, after which Q/Lep increases significantly up to 10−3 m/s with no further effect. The influence of soil thermodynamic characteristics on Q/Lep decreases with increasing groundwater velocity, and Brinkman's equation is recommended for analyzing flows above 10−7 m/s, especially in soils with low thermodynamic properties. Low-velocity flows with high soil permeability can disrupt horizontal groundwater flow and impact energy extraction, while mixed convection minimizes the difference in energy received between the 2nd and 180th days and increases the slope of the Q/Lep diagrams. This research offers valuable insights into the complexities of energy extraction from energy piles, emphasizing the importance of considering groundwater flow and various design factors for accurate evaluations.

Suggested Citation

  • Fattahian, Makan & Oliaei, Mohammad & Akbari Garakani, Amir & Kiani Fordoei, Mohammad Amir, 2024. "Numerical modeling of high-velocity groundwater flow influence on the thermal-hydraulic characteristics and energy extraction from energy piles," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(PD).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:237:y:2024:i:pd:s0960148124019785
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2024.121910
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148124019785
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.renene.2024.121910?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Choi, Jung Chan & Park, Joonsang & Lee, Seung Rae, 2013. "Numerical evaluation of the effects of groundwater flow on borehole heat exchanger arrays," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 230-240.
    2. Heidari, Bahareh & Yoosefi, Siamak & Garakani, Amir Akbari, 2024. "Assessing the effects of horizontal loads on the ultimate vertical bearing capacity of energy piles: A comparative numerical and analytical study," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    3. Zhao, Zilong & Lin, Yu-Feng & Stumpf, Andrew & Wang, Xinlei, 2022. "Assessing impacts of groundwater on geothermal heat exchangers: A review of methodology and modeling," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 121-147.
    4. Heidari, Bahareh & Akbari Garakani, Amir & Mokhtari Jozani, Sahar & Hashemi Tari, Pooyan, 2022. "Energy piles under lateral loading: Analytical and numerical investigations," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 172-191.
    5. Fadejev, Jevgeni & Simson, Raimo & Kurnitski, Jarek & Haghighat, Fariborz, 2017. "A review on energy piles design, sizing and modelling," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 390-407.
    6. Cherati, Davood Yazdani & Ghasemi-Fare, Omid, 2021. "Practical approaches for implementation of energy piles in Iran based on the lessons learned from the developed countries experiences," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    7. Zhou, Yang & Zheng, Zhi-xiang & Zhao, Guang-si, 2022. "Analytical models for heat transfer around a single ground heat exchanger in the presence of both horizontal and vertical groundwater flow considering a convective boundary condition," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    8. Zhang, Wenke & Yang, Hongxing & Lu, Lin & Fang, Zhaohong, 2013. "The analysis on solid cylindrical heat source model of foundation pile ground heat exchangers with groundwater flow," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 417-425.
    9. Zhang, Changxing & Guo, Zhanjun & Liu, Yufeng & Cong, Xiaochun & Peng, Donggen, 2014. "A review on thermal response test of ground-coupled heat pump systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 851-867.
    10. Fan, Rui & Jiang, Yiqiang & Yao, Yang & Shiming, Deng & Ma, Zuiliang, 2007. "A study on the performance of a geothermal heat exchanger under coupled heat conduction and groundwater advection," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 32(11), pages 2199-2209.
    11. Capozza, Antonio & De Carli, Michele & Zarrella, Angelo, 2013. "Investigations on the influence of aquifers on the ground temperature in ground-source heat pump operation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 350-363.
    12. Akbari Garakani, Amir & Mokhtari Jozani, Sahar & Hashemi Tari, Pooyan & Heidari, Bahareh, 2022. "Effects of heat exchange fluid characteristics and pipe configuration on the ultimate bearing capacity of energy piles," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 248(C).
    13. Wenke Zhang & Hongxing Yang & Lin Lu & Zhaohong Fang, 2017. "Investigation on the heat transfer of energy piles with two-dimensional groundwater flow," International Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies, Oxford University Press, vol. 12(1), pages 43-50.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Xianglin Liu & Yuhan Tian & Yongli Liu & Wen Liu & Lifei Zheng & Xiaoqing Li, 2025. "Efficient Development and Utilization of Geothermal Energy: An Analysis of the Operational Strategy for Deep-Buried Pipe-Type Energy Piles Considering Seepage Effects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-21, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Najafian Jazi, Fereydoun & Ghasemi-Fare, Omid & Rockaway, Thomas D., 2024. "Understanding the impact of flow mechanisms in unsaturated layer on heat transfer near a partially submerged geothermal heat exchanger," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C).
    2. Shibin Geng & Yong Li & Xu Han & Huiliang Lian & Hua Zhang, 2016. "Evaluation of Thermal Anomalies in Multi-Boreholes Field Considering the Effects of Groundwater Flow," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(6), pages 1-19, June.
    3. Javadi, Hossein & Mousavi Ajarostaghi, Seyed Soheil & Rosen, Marc A. & Pourfallah, Mohsen, 2019. "Performance of ground heat exchangers: A comprehensive review of recent advances," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 207-233.
    4. Carotenuto, Alberto & Ciccolella, Michela & Massarotti, Nicola & Mauro, Alessandro, 2016. "Models for thermo-fluid dynamic phenomena in low enthalpy geothermal energy systems: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 330-355.
    5. Karytsas, Spyridon & Choropanitis, Ioannis, 2017. "Barriers against and actions towards renewable energy technologies diffusion: A Principal Component Analysis for residential ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 252-271.
    6. Tye-Gingras, Maxime & Gosselin, Louis, 2014. "Generic ground response functions for ground exchangers in the presence of groundwater flow," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 354-366.
    7. Zhao, Zilong & Lin, Yu-Feng & Stumpf, Andrew & Wang, Xinlei, 2022. "Assessing impacts of groundwater on geothermal heat exchangers: A review of methodology and modeling," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 121-147.
    8. Gigot, Valériane & Francois, Bertrand & Huysmans, Marijke & Gerard, Pierre, 2023. "Monitoring of the thermal plume around a thermally activated borehole heat exchanger and characterization of the ground hydro-geothermal parameters," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).
    9. Rivera, Jaime A. & Blum, Philipp & Bayer, Peter, 2015. "Ground energy balance for borehole heat exchangers: Vertical fluxes, groundwater and storage," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 1341-1351.
    10. Li, Biao & Han, Zongwei & Bai, Chenguang & Hu, Honghao, 2019. "The influence of soil thermal properties on the operation performance on ground source heat pump system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 903-913.
    11. Somogyi, Viola & Sebestyén, Viktor & Nagy, Georgina, 2017. "Scientific achievements and regulation of shallow geothermal systems in six European countries – A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 68(P2), pages 934-952.
    12. Linlin Zhang & Zhonghua Shi & Tianhao Yuan, 2020. "Study on the Coupled Heat Transfer Model Based on Groundwater Advection and Axial Heat Conduction for the Double U-Tube Vertical Borehole Heat Exchanger," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-19, September.
    13. Cunha, R.P. & Bourne-Webb, P.J., 2022. "A critical review on the current knowledge of geothermal energy piles to sustainably climatize buildings," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    14. Sadeghi, Habibollah & Jalali, Ramin & Singh, Rao Martand, 2024. "A review of borehole thermal energy storage and its integration into district heating systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    15. Hu, Jinzhong, 2017. "An improved analytical model for vertical borehole ground heat exchanger with multiple-layer substrates and groundwater flow," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 537-549.
    16. Lazaros Aresti & Paul Christodoulides & Gregoris P. Panayiotou & Georgios Florides, 2020. "Residential Buildings’ Foundations as a Ground Heat Exchanger and Comparison among Different Types in a Moderate Climate Country," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-22, November.
    17. Elżbieta Hałaj & Leszek Pająk & Bartosz Papiernik, 2020. "Finite Element Modeling of Geothermal Source of Heat Pump in Long-Term Operation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-18, March.
    18. Xinbo Lei & Xiuhua Zheng & Chenyang Duan & Jianhong Ye & Kang Liu, 2019. "Three-Dimensional Numerical Simulation of Geothermal Field of Buried Pipe Group Coupled with Heat and Permeable Groundwater," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-16, September.
    19. Heidari, Bahareh & Yoosefi, Siamak & Garakani, Amir Akbari, 2024. "Assessing the effects of horizontal loads on the ultimate vertical bearing capacity of energy piles: A comparative numerical and analytical study," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    20. Cui, Yuanlong & Zhu, Jie & Twaha, Ssennoga & Riffat, Saffa, 2018. "A comprehensive review on 2D and 3D models of vertical ground heat exchangers," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 84-114.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:237:y:2024:i:pd:s0960148124019785. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/renewable-energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.