Analyses of the thermo-mechanical responses of energy pile foundations-PPT Presentation

PPT Presentation

Pdf Summary

The presentation examines the thermo-mechanical behavior and design of energy piles, which combine structural foundation support with geothermal heating and cooling. These systems can provide efficient, low-carbon energy, but their long-term performance depends on factors such as local geology, ground heat-exchanger layout, material properties, operating schedules, and interaction between soil and structure.<br /><br />The research develops a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) framework and implements it in COMSOL Multiphysics to model energy geosystems. The model is validated against field measurements and applied to ground-source heat pump systems, energy piles, and bridge-deck snow-melting designs.<br /><br />Key findings include that prolonged operation can reduce heat-pump efficiency, while intermittent operation or a lower operating duty cycle can improve it. Accurate local geological data and transient modeling are important: thermal conductivity alone is not enough to characterize backfill performance. Energy-pile behavior is also influenced by soil–pile interface resistance and end restraint, which affect thermal strain, axial load, and shaft stress.<br /><br />For bridge snow melting, feasibility varies with regional ground and snowfall conditions and the required snow-removal standard. Phase-change-material-modified energy piles are presented as a way to improve system performance.<br /><br />Overall, the work offers a validated simulation tool to support improved design codes and tailored, multifunctional energy-geosystem designs.

Keywords

energy piles

thermo-mechanical behavior

geothermal heating and cooling

thermo-hydro-mechanical framework

COMSOL Multiphysics

ground-source heat pump

soil-structure interaction

thermal conductivity

bridge snow melting

phase-change materials