Numerical Analysis of the Factors Influencing a Vertical U-Tube Ground Heat Exchanger

Shangyuan Chen, Jinfeng Mao, Xu Han, Chaofeng Li and Liyao Liu
Additional contact information
Shangyuan Chen: Institute of Military Environmental Teaching and Research, PLA University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210007, China
Jinfeng Mao: Institute of Military Environmental Teaching and Research, PLA University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210007, China
Xu Han: Institute of Military Environmental Teaching and Research, PLA University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210007, China
Chaofeng Li: Institute of Military Environmental Teaching and Research, PLA University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210007, China
Liyao Liu: Institute of Military Environmental Teaching and Research, PLA University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210007, China

Sustainability, 2016, vol. 8, issue 9, 1-12

Abstract: The development of a three-dimensional, unsteady state model, which couples heat transfer with groundwater seepage for a vertical U-tube ground heat exchanger (GHE) is presented. The influence of underground soil thermal properties, grout materials, inlet water temperature and velocity, and groundwater seepage on heat transfer in the GHE is examined. The results indicate that before the heat in the borehole is saturated, the heat flux in the GHE is directly proportional to the thermal conductivity coefficient of the grout materials. The radius of the thermal effect of the GHE and the recovery rate of the temperature in the soil are also proportional to the thermal diffusion coefficient of the soil. In cooling mode, the increase of the inlet water temperature of the GHE results in enhanced heat transfer. However, this may cause issues with heat buildup. The increase of the inlet water velocity in the GHE enhances heat convection in the tube. The effect of thermal-seepage coupling in groundwater can reduce the accumulated heat, thus resulting in the effective enhancement of the heat transfer in the GHE.

Keywords: influence factors; ground heat exchanger; heat flux (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/8/9/882/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/8/9/882/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:8:y:2016:i:9:p:882-:d:77240

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().