IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v13y2020i11p2965-d369261.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Clearing a Path for Ground Heat Exchange Systems: A Review on Thermal Response Test (TRT) Methods and a Geotechnical Routine Test for Estimating Soil Thermal Properties

Author

Listed:
  • Alessandro Franco

    (Department of Energy and System Engineering (DESTEC), University of Pisa, Largo Lucio Lazzarino, 56122 Pisa, Italy)

  • Paolo Conti

    (Department of Energy and System Engineering (DESTEC), University of Pisa, Largo Lucio Lazzarino, 56122 Pisa, Italy)

Abstract

The performance of ground heat exchanger systems depends on the knowledge of the thermal parameters of the ground, such as thermal conductivity, capacity, and diffusivity. The knowledge of these parameters often requires quite accurate experimental analysis, known as a thermal response test (TRT). In this paper, after a general analysis of the various available types of TRT and a study of the theoretical basics of the method, we explore the perspective of the definition of a simplified routine method of analysis based on the combination of a particular version of TRT and the routine geotechnical tests for the characterization of soil stratigraphy and the ground characteristics. Geotechnical analyses are indeed mandatory before the construction of new buildings, even if limited to 30 m below the ground level or foundation base when piles are needed. The idea of developing TRT in connection with geotechnical test activity has the objective of promoting the widespread use of in situ experimental analysis and reducing TRT costs and time. The considerations presented in the present paper lead to reconsidering a particular variety of the TRT, in particular, the versions known as thermal response test while drilling (TRTWD) and TRT using heating cables (HC-TRT).

Suggested Citation

  • Alessandro Franco & Paolo Conti, 2020. "Clearing a Path for Ground Heat Exchange Systems: A Review on Thermal Response Test (TRT) Methods and a Geotechnical Routine Test for Estimating Soil Thermal Properties," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-21, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:11:p:2965-:d:369261
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/11/2965/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/11/2965/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Spitler, Jeffrey D. & Gehlin, Signhild E.A., 2015. "Thermal response testing for ground source heat pump systems—An historical review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 1125-1137.
    2. Wang, Huajun & Qi, Chengying & Du, Hongpu & Gu, Jihao, 2010. "Improved method and case study of thermal response test for borehole heat exchangers of ground source heat pump system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 727-733.
    3. Pasquier, Philippe, 2018. "Interpretation of the first hours of a thermal response test using the time derivative of the temperature," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 56-75.
    4. Paolo Conti, 2016. "Dimensionless Maps for the Validity of Analytical Ground Heat Transfer Models for GSHP Applications," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-21, October.
    5. Tang, Fujiao & Nowamooz, Hossein, 2019. "Sensitive analysis on the effective soil thermal conductivity of the Thermal Response Test considering various testing times, field conditions and U-pipe lengths," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 1732-1743.
    6. Borja Badenes & Miguel Ángel Mateo Pla & Lenin G. Lemus-Zúñiga & Begoña Sáiz Mauleón & Javier F. Urchueguía, 2017. "On the Influence of Operational and Control Parameters in Thermal Response Testing of Borehole Heat Exchangers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-15, September.
    7. Pasquier, Philippe & Marcotte, Denis, 2020. "Robust identification of volumetric heat capacity and analysis of thermal response tests by Bayesian inference with correlated residuals," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 261(C).
    8. Tomislav Kurevija & Kristina Strpić & Sonja Koščak-Kolin, 2018. "Applying Petroleum the Pressure Buildup Well Test Procedure on Thermal Response Test—A Novel Method for Analyzing Temperature Recovery Period," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-22, February.
    9. Sani, Abubakar Kawuwa & Singh, Rao Martand & Amis, Tony & Cavarretta, Ignazio, 2019. "A review on the performance of geothermal energy pile foundation, its design process and applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 54-78.
    10. Witte, Henk J.L., 2013. "Error analysis of thermal response tests," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 302-311.
    11. Wilke, Sascha & Menberg, Kathrin & Steger, Hagen & Blum, Philipp, 2020. "Advanced thermal response tests: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    12. Jia, Jie & Lee, W.L. & Cheng, Yuanda, 2019. "Field demonstration of a first constant-temperature thermal response test with both heat injection and extraction for ground source heat pump systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 249(C), pages 79-86.
    13. Marcotte, D. & Pasquier, P., 2008. "On the estimation of thermal resistance in borehole thermal conductivity test," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 33(11), pages 2407-2415.
    14. 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.
    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. Zhang, Bo & Gu, Kai & Shi, Bin & Liu, Chun & Bayer, Peter & Wei, Guangqing & Gong, Xülong & Yang, Lei, 2020. "Actively heated fiber optics based thermal response test: A field demonstration," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    2. Zhang, Bo & Gu, Kai & Wei, Zhuang & Jiang, Lin & Zheng, Yu & Wang, Baojun & Shi, Bin, 2023. "Governing factors for actively heated fiber optics based thermal response tests," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 219(P1).

    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. Pasquier, Philippe & Marcotte, Denis, 2020. "Robust identification of volumetric heat capacity and analysis of thermal response tests by Bayesian inference with correlated residuals," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 261(C).
    2. Ana Vieira & Maria Alberdi-Pagola & Paul Christodoulides & Saqib Javed & Fleur Loveridge & Frederic Nguyen & Francesco Cecinato & João Maranha & Georgios Florides & Iulia Prodan & Gust Van Lysebetten , 2017. "Characterisation of Ground Thermal and Thermo-Mechanical Behaviour for Shallow Geothermal Energy Applications," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-51, December.
    3. Zhang, Bo & Gu, Kai & Shi, Bin & Liu, Chun & Bayer, Peter & Wei, Guangqing & Gong, Xülong & Yang, Lei, 2020. "Actively heated fiber optics based thermal response test: A field demonstration," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    4. BniLam, Noori & Al-Khoury, Rafid, 2020. "Parameter identification algorithm for ground source heat pump systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    5. Maria Isabel Vélez Márquez & Jasmin Raymond & Daniela Blessent & Mikael Philippe & Nataline Simon & Olivier Bour & Louis Lamarche, 2018. "Distributed Thermal Response Tests Using a Heating Cable and Fiber Optic Temperature Sensing," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-24, November.
    6. Yoshitaka Sakata & Takao Katsura & Ahmed A. Serageldin & Katsunori Nagano & Motoaki Ooe, 2021. "Evaluating Variability of Ground Thermal Conductivity within a Steep Site by History Matching Underground Distributed Temperatures from Thermal Response Tests," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-17, March.
    7. Zhang, Xueping & Han, Zongwei & Ji, Qiang & Zhang, Hongzhi & Li, Xiuming, 2021. "Thermal response tests for the identification of soil thermal parameters: A review," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 1123-1135.
    8. Joanna Piotrowska-Woroniak, 2021. "Determination of the Selected Wells Operational Power with Borehole Heat Exchangers Operating in Real Conditions, Based on Experimental Tests," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-21, April.
    9. Zhang, Xueping & Han, Zongwei & Li, Gui & Li, Xiuming, 2022. "Effect of temperature measurement error on parameters estimation accuracy for thermal response tests," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(C), pages 230-240.
    10. Deng, Zhenpeng & Nian, Yongle & Cheng, Wen-long, 2023. "Estimation method of layered ground thermal conductivity for U-tube BHE based on the quasi-3D model," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 121-133.
    11. Joanna Piotrowska-Woroniak, 2021. "Assessment of Ground Regeneration around Borehole Heat Exchangers between Heating Seasons in Cold Climates: A Case Study in Bialystok (NE, Poland)," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-32, August.
    12. Li, Min & Zhang, Liwen & Liu, Gang, 2020. "Step-wise algorithm for estimating multi-parameter of the ground and geothermal heat exchangers from thermal response tests," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 435-442.
    13. Hans Schwarz & Borja Badenes & Jan Wagner & José Manuel Cuevas & Javier Urchueguía & David Bertermann, 2021. "A Case Study of Thermal Evolution in the Vicinity of Geothermal Probes Following a Distributed TRT Method," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-17, May.
    14. Xuedan Zhang & Tiantian Zhang & Bingxi Li & Yiqiang Jiang, 2019. "Comparison of Four Methods for Borehole Heat Exchanger Sizing Subject to Thermal Response Test Parameter Estimation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-30, October.
    15. Nicolò Giordano & Louis Lamarche & Jasmin Raymond, 2021. "Evaluation of Subsurface Heat Capacity through Oscillatory Thermal Response Tests," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-26, September.
    16. Jensen-Page, Linden & Narsilio, Guillermo A. & Bidarmaghz, Asal & Johnston, Ian W., 2018. "Investigation of the effect of seasonal variation in ground temperature on thermal response tests," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 609-619.
    17. Louis Lamarche & Jasmin Raymond & Claude Hugo Koubikana Pambou, 2017. "Evaluation of the Internal and Borehole Resistances during Thermal Response Tests and Impact on Ground Heat Exchanger Design," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-17, December.
    18. Spitler, Jeffrey D. & Javed, Saqib & Ramstad, Randi Kalskin, 2016. "Natural convection in groundwater-filled boreholes used as ground heat exchangers," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 352-365.
    19. Jia, Jie & Lee, W.L. & Cheng, Yuanda, 2019. "Field demonstration of a first constant-temperature thermal response test with both heat injection and extraction for ground source heat pump systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 249(C), pages 79-86.
    20. Zhang, Xueping & Han, Zongwei & Meng, Xinwei & Li, Gui & Ji, Qiang & Li, Xiuming & Yang, Lingyan, 2021. "Study on high-precision identification method of ground thermal properties based on neural network model," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 1838-1848.

    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:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:11:p:2965-:d:369261. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.