Research and Development in Helical Steel Pile Heat Exchangers

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This NSERC Alliance seeks to advance helical steel pile heat exchanger technology. Helical steel piles are commonly used structural elements that can anchor building foundations deep in the soil. Recently, it has been demonstrated that these piles can also be used as ground heat exchangers in service of ground source heat pumps. These dual use geo-piles (structural and thermal) have the potential to significantly reduce Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) installation costs, leading to greater adoption of sustainable building energy technology in Canada. In addition, preliminary research has indicated that geo-piles may also have useful thermal storage capabilities, when used with low flow, or actively controlled on/off functionality. A potential application of geo-pile heat exchangers has been identified in the remote Canadian North. Many building foundations have been weakened due to thawing permafrost associated with global climate change. Geo-piles may have the potential to provide sustainable heating to buildings in northern communities, while simultaneously drawing heat out of the ground, helping to delay or remediate melting permafrost destabilization. This Alliance research partnership has three main objectives; i) to develop a detailed understanding of the operational principles and optimization methods of the geo-pile heat exchanger system by performing numerical simulations, ii) to explore/understand the potential applications of geo-pile technology for combined heating and ground stabilization in northern Canadian regions affected by permafrost thawing, and iii) To develop a detailed understanding of the optimization methods of the helical steel pile (geo-pile) system in northern settings. This research has great potential impact for Canada by advancing sustainable energy technology, while simultaneously serving northern communities with options for clean heating and building stabilization.