Geothermal response of a geothermal system for energy piles in a typical Brazilian tropical soil

Abstract

For a long time ago energy piles systems have been used for heating and/ or cooling purposes. The proposal of a conditioning system for closed environments that is economical and sustainable has drawn attention in Brazil, a country that is experiencing energy difficulties and have a high demand for thermal conditioning in most of its territory. Different configurations of foundation blocks were simulated, and an extensive geological-geotechnical survey of the soil chosen as representative of the Federal District, allowed the calculation of the thermal parameters of this soil. With these parameters the next step were the numerical simulations, the aim of this paper, which varied the foundations with the number of pile caps, piles diameter and turns in the pipe, seeking the best configuration for the region studied. As a result of this work, it was concluded that for blocks with pile diameters of 30 and 40 cm, the ideal is the use of only two turns in the pipes for blocks with 4 or more piles, while for piles of 60 cm three turns in the pipe generates a maximum exchange of heat. It is also concluded that the soil of the Federal District has a high potential for heat exchange.