IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jmathe/v11y2023i19p4173-d1253900.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Numerical Investigation on the Performance of Horizontal Helical-Coil-Type Backfill Heat Exchangers with Different Configurations in Mine Stopes

Author

Listed:
  • Bo Zhang

    (College of Energy Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, China)

  • Long Shi

    (College of Energy Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, China)

  • Wenxuan Zhang

    (College of Energy Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, China)

  • Chao Huan

    (College of Energy Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, China)

  • Yujiao Zhao

    (College of Energy Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, China)

  • Jingyu Wang

    (College of Energy Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, China)

Abstract

The application of ground heat exchanger technology in backfill mines can actualize subterranean heat storage, which is one of the most effective solutions for addressing solar energy faults such as intermittence and fluctuation. This paper provides a 3D unsteady heat transfer numerical model for full-size horizontal backfill heat exchangers (BFHEs) with five configurations in a mining layer of a metal mine by using a COMSOL environment. In order to ensure the fairness of the comparative analysis, the pipes of BFHEs studied have the same heat exchange surface area. By comparing and evaluating the heat storage/release characteristics of BFHEs in continuous operation for three years, it was discovered that the helical pipe with serpentine layout may effectively enhance the performance of BFHEs. Compared with the traditional SS BFHEs, the heat storage capacity of the S-FH type is significantly increased by 21.7%, followed by the SA-FH type, which is increased by 11.1%, while the performances of U-DH and SH type are considerably lowered. Also, the impact of the critical structural factors (pitch length and pitch diameter) was further studied using the normalized parameters C 1 and C 2 based on the inner diameter of the pipe. It is discovered that BFHEs should be distributed in a pipe with a lower C 1 , and increasing C 2 encourages BFHEs to increase the storaged/released heat of BFHEs. By comparatively analysing the effect of thermal conductivity, it is found that the positive effects of thermal conductivity on the performance of SH, U-DH, SA-FH, and S-FH type BFHEs are found to decrease successively. This work proposes a strategy for improving the heat storage and release potential of BFHEs in terms of optimal pipe arrangement.

Suggested Citation

  • Bo Zhang & Long Shi & Wenxuan Zhang & Chao Huan & Yujiao Zhao & Jingyu Wang, 2023. "Numerical Investigation on the Performance of Horizontal Helical-Coil-Type Backfill Heat Exchangers with Different Configurations in Mine Stopes," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-21, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jmathe:v:11:y:2023:i:19:p:4173-:d:1253900
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/11/19/4173/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/11/19/4173/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sivasakthivel, T. & Philippe, Mikael & Murugesan, K. & Verma, Vikas & Hu, Pingfang, 2017. "Experimental thermal performance analysis of ground heat exchangers for space heating and cooling applications," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 1168-1181.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Kappler, Genyr & Dias, João Batista & Haeberle, Fernanda & Wander, Paulo Roberto & Moraes, Carlos Alberto Mendes & Modolo, Regina Célia Espinosa, 2019. "Study of an earth-to-water heat exchange system which relies on underground water tanks," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 1236-1246.
    2. 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.
    3. Atwany, Hanin & Hamdan, Mohammad O. & Abu-Nabah, Bassam A. & Alami, Abdul Hai & Attom, Mousa, 2020. "Experimental evaluation of ground heat exchanger in UAE," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 538-546.
    4. Lyu, Weihua & Li, Xianting & Yan, Shuai & Jiang, Sihang, 2020. "Utilizing shallow geothermal energy to develop an energy efficient HVAC system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(P1), pages 672-682.
    5. 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.
    6. 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.
    7. Bi, Yuehong & Lyu, Tianli & Wang, Hongyan & Sun, Ruirui & Yu, Meize, 2019. "Parameter analysis of single U-tube GHE and dynamic simulation of underground temperature field round one year for GSHP," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 138-147.
    8. Marco Belliardi & Nerio Cereghetti & Paola Caputo & Simone Ferrari, 2021. "A Method to Analyze the Performance of Geocooling Systems with Borehole Heat Exchangers. Results in a Monitored Residential Building in Southern Alps," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-18, November.
    9. Syed Noman Danish & Abdelrahman El-Leathy & Mohanad Alata & Hany Al-Ansary, 2019. "Enhancing Solar Still Performance Using Vacuum Pump and Geothermal Energy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-13, February.
    10. Pu, Liang & Xu, Lingling & Zhang, Shengqi & Li, Yanzhong, 2019. "Optimization of ground heat exchanger using microencapsulated phase change material slurry based on tree-shaped structure," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 240(C), pages 860-869.
    11. Chwieduk, Michal, 2021. "New global thermal numerical model of vertical U-tube ground heat exchanger," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 343-352.

    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:jmathe:v:11:y:2023:i:19:p:4173-:d:1253900. 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.