Research



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Research in Modular Geothermics

Modular Geothermics


Geothermal usage of laminar ground structures:
Energy potential of thermo-active seal panels

A joint research project of Geophysica and the Institute for Geotechnical Engineering at RWTH Aachen University (GiB) focuses on the optimization of the geothermal usage of thermo-active seal panels. Since several years, the GiB is developing and testing innovative thermo-active seal panels under laboratory conditions using large-scale test sets. The development of the elements was carried out in cooperation with NAUE GmbH & Co. KG. The tests revealed promising values of heat transfer capacity and heat transmission resistance. The panels are preferably suitable for application in areas of streaming groundwater, since buildings need sealings in any case. 

In order to dimension such a system efficiently, the knowledge of the influence of groundwater flow on extractable thermal power in quantitative terms is crucial. Hitherto, effects of groundwater flow are largely neglected. Existing studies solely refer to heat pipes (double-U, Coaxial) and energy piles, since quantitative analysis of heat transfer is more complex for planar panels than it is for axially symmetrical systems. 

Geophysica’s task in the project was to develop a software module which will allows to calculate the heat transfer of thermo-active panels. The module is implemented within the SHEMAT-Suite software. In parallel, the GiB performs laboratory studies of heat extraction capacity of seal panels under different conditions. The laboratory results are used to test and calibrate the software. 

The newly developed software now allows to quantitatively integrate planar thermo-active panels during the planning stages of indoor climatisation.






Sheme of energy retrieval of thermo-active seal panels. (RWTH Aachen)





Please find more details on the project at:  

Kürten, S., Mottaghy, D. & Ziegler, M. (2014): A new model for the description of the heat transfer for plane thermo-active geotechnical systems based on thermal resistances. Acta Geotechnica, Online First. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11440-014-0311-6#page-1

Kürten, S., Mottaghy, D. & Ziegler, M. (Ziegler (2013): Wärmeübergangswiderstand bei flächigen thermo-aktiven Bauteilen am Beispiel thermo-aktiver Abdichtungselemente. Bautechnik 90(7), 387–394

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