Journal
COMPUTERS AND GEOTECHNICS
Volume 38, Issue 8, Pages 949-958Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.compgeo.2011.07.004
Keywords
Ground source heat pump; Ground heat exchanger; Numerical simulation; Unsaturated soil; Intermittent operation
Categories
Funding
- SISTeC
- National Research Foundation of Korea [2010-0014639]
- National Research Foundation of Korea [2010-0014639] Funding Source: Korea Institute of Science & Technology Information (KISTI), National Science & Technology Information Service (NTIS)
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The effect of varying the thermal properties of inhomogeneous unsaturated soil on the intermittent operation of a vertical ground heat exchanger (GHE) was simulated by a conjugate heat transfer simulation using a transient conductive heat transfer model. A three-phase soil model was used to introduce soil properties that vary with depth. The performance during the first few hours was significantly different from that of an analytical infinite line source model that assumes steady-state borehole conditions, although relatively good agreement was obtained thereafter. Unsaturated soil conditions afforded a 40% lower mean heat exchange rate than saturated conditions. This demonstrates the importance of considering unsaturated conditions in the design and performance evaluation of GHEs. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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