Engineered Thermal Transition Zones for Enhanced Geotechnical Foundation Systems

与行业合作伙伴合作，这项研究将开发一种新的设计配置和安装方法，用于热交换热桩，这与目前内部修改传统结构桩的方法不同。这将通过在传统结构桩和周围土壤之间就地制造一个过渡区来取代传统系统来实现，以显着提高桩系统的热性能。概念验证模型显示，能源桩的热性能有可能大幅提高，这可以使它们成为更可行的可再生能源和可持续能源替代品，用于加热和冷却建筑物，包括单户和多户住宅建筑。该研究将使用来自概念验证模型的新见解作为实验室和现场规模物理和数值测试的动机。能够显著改变热桩系统的性能和效率的更广泛影响对发达国家和发展中国家的全球供暖和制冷需求具有重大影响，并有助于减少温室气体排放。这项研究与可持续基础设施的概念和理念非常一致，并鼓励采用系统的方法来评估最有可能影响系统性能的关键维度的替代方法，包括环境、社会和经济影响，以及技术因素。基于这项研究的项目将为佐治亚理工学院的“可持续地下基础设施”课程开发。为了更好地了解影响能源桩热性能的各种因素并优化传热特性，一系列任务将建立在概念验证研究期间得出的见解之上。本研究的重点不仅是在受控的实验室环境中研究这个问题，而且还开发了实用的方法来利用这些结果来设计和安装热优化的能源桩。为了实现这一目标，本项目将首先设计、制造和利用一个实验室规模的设备来测试不同土壤条件和不同边界条件下的工程过渡区桩模型。这些测试将用于验证额外的数值模拟，将原始概念验证数值模型研究的结果扩展到设计原型全尺寸现场系统。与行业合作伙伴合作，将安装一个全尺寸的现场系统，并在一系列试验期间进行监测，以评估系统的初始响应以及系统在加热和冷却循环时的长期性能。在现场使用的安装方法包括对现有设备进行战略性重新利用，以便分阶段安装新的热桩配置。这对在实践中采用该方法具有重要意义。在完成全尺寸现场测试后，将开发一种设计方法，可用于未来在各种地下条件下的安装，并具有不同尺寸的工程热过渡区。

Working with an industry partner, this research will develop a new design configuration and installation methodology for heat exchange thermal piles which deviates from the current approach of internally modifying conventional structural piles. This will be achieved by replacing the conventional system with a transition zone that is manufactured in-place between a conventional structural pile and the surrounding soil to significantly increase thermal performance of the pile system. Proof-of-concept modeling has shown the potential for dramatic increases in the thermal performance of an energy pile that can make them a more feasible renewable and sustainable energy alternative for heating and cooling buildings, including single and multi-family residential buildings. The study will use the new insight from the proof-of-concept modeling as the motivation for laboratory and field scale physical and numerical testing. The broader impacts of being able to dramatically alter the performance and efficiency of thermal pile systems has significant implications on global heating and cooling needs in both developed and developing countries, and can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This research is very much aligned with the concept and philosophy of sustainable infrastructure, and encourages a systematic approach to evaluating alternative approaches across the key dimensions most likely to influence system performance including environmental, societal and economic impact, as well as technical factors. Projects based on this research will be developed for the Georgia Tech class "Sustainable Subsurface Infrastructure."In order to better understand the various factors influencing thermal performance of energy piles and to optimize heat transfer characteristics, a series of tasks will build on the insights derived during the proof-of-concept studies. The focus of this investigation is to not only to study the problem in a controlled lab environment, but also to develop practical methodologies for utilization of the results in designing and installing thermally optimized energy piles. To achieve this, the project will first design, fabricate and utilize a laboratory scale apparatus to test model engineered transition zone piles with different soil conditions and different boundary conditions. The tests will be used to validate additional numerical simulations that extend the findings of the original proof-of-concept numerical model studies to design prototype full scale field systems. Working with an industry partner, a full-scale field system will be installed and monitored during a series of trials to assess both the initial response as well as the longer term performance of the system as heating and cooling cycles are applied to the system. The installation method to be used in the field involves the strategic repurposing of existing equipment to allow a staged installation procedure of the new thermal pile configuration. This has important implications for the adoption of the method in practice. Upon completion of the full scale field testing, a design methodology that can be used for future installations in a variety of subsurface conditions with engineered thermal transition zones of different dimensions will be developed.