Geothermal usage of laminar ground structures

Energy potential of thermo-active construction parts


In cooperation with the Institute for Geotechnical Engineering at RWTH Aachen University (GiB) Geophysica Beratungsgesellschaft mbH focuses on the optimization of the geothermal usage of thermo-active construction parts. 


During a first stage, GiB and Geophysica GmbH has tested 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 experiments 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. 


Within a second stage, we currently investigate the geothermal potential of steel sheet piles. By energy sheet piles, newly developed by SPS Energy GmbH, an energetic function is added to the static function of a conventional sheet pile wall.


Heat from the surrounding will be extracted by absorber pipes, which are connected with the steel wall. Due to the numerous capabilities of sheet piles within the fields of water engineering and special heavy constructions, a wide range of applications opens for energy sheet piles. Energy sheet piles are particularly efficient, when the thermal energy of stagnant or flowing waters can be used. The efficiency of such a system exceeds that of a solely ground-coupled heat exchanger by a multiple.


Due to their great potential, energy sheet piles are the subjects of a research project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The objective of the project is to test and specify the performance potential of activated sheet pile walls under controlled conditions with the help of a large scale laboratory test equipment. On behalf of the Department of Geotechnical Engineering (GiB), we develop numerical tools for the planning and dimensioning of thermo-active construction parts such as sealing elements and energy sheet piles. Further information about the projects:  

Koppmann, D., Ziegler, M.,  Knapp, D., Pechnig, R.,  Semmling, T. (2017): Energiespundwände – Eine neue Möglichkeit zur Erschließung regenerativer Energiequellen. Präsentation, Geothermiekongress 2017, 12.-13. September 2017, München. Koppmann_et_al_Geothermiekongress_2017.PDF

Koppmann, D. , Ziegler, M.,  Knapp, D., Pechnig, R.,  Semmling, T. (2017): Energiespundwände - Einsatzmöglichkeiten und Potentiale.  In: Geothermische Energie, Fachzeitschrift des Bundesverbandes Geothermie e.V. (BVG), Heft Nr. 87 (2017/2), S.18-19, ISSN 0948-6615.

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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