Energy and mechanical aspects on the thermal activation of diaphragm walls for heating and cooling

Marco Barla, Alice Di Donna and Alessandro Santi

Renewable Energy, 2020, vol. 147, issue P2, 2654-2663

Abstract: Underground geotechnical structures, such as deep and shallow foundations, diaphragm walls, tunnel linings and anchors are being increasingly employed as energy geostructures to exchange heat with the ground by installing absorber pipes into the structural elements. This paper focuses on the application of this technology to reinforced concrete diaphragm walls used for construction of underground car parks, basements and metro stations, with the purpose of heating and cooling the adjacent buildings. Preliminary numerical modelling allowed optimising the geothermal plant design of the diaphragm wall. Then its energy efficiency is investigated through finite element thermo-hydro coupled analyses together with the effects of the thermal activation on the surrounding soil. Finally, finite difference thermo-mechanical analyses are used to study the mechanical effects induced by the thermal activation.

Keywords: Energy walls; Energy geostructures; Thermo-hydraulic numerical analyses; Thermo-mechanical numerical analyses; Shallow geothermal energy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:147:y:2020:i:p2:p:2654-2663

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2018.10.074

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