Study of geothermal energy piles performances using CFD (Etude des performances des pieux à énergie géothermique par utilisation de la CFD)
| dc.contributor.author | BOUDJ AZA samia | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-02-10T09:08:52Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-02-10T09:08:52Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Geothermal energy piles (GEPs), which integrate structural foundation elements with ground heat exchangers, represent a sustainable and efficient solution for building heating and cooling by harnessing the relatively stable subsurface soil temperature. This study offers a comprehensive parametric and multi-physics investigation into both the thermal and thermomechanical behavior of GEPs under seasonal operating conditions. It is divided into three main parts, using advanced numerical simulations within ANSYS Workbench. In the first part, the transient thermal response of GEPs during summer and winter is analyzed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in ANSYS Fluent, assessing the impact of varying flow regimes (Reynolds numbers from 500 to 2000) on outlet temperature and heat transfer rate. Results indicate that higher flow velocities increase the heat transfer rate but reduce thermal exchange efficiency due to shorter fluid residence time. The second part focuses on parametric CFD optimization of key geometric parameters, pile diameter, heat exchanger diameter, pipe-toconcrete spacing, and pipe angular orientation. Supported by analytical modeling, simulations identify the optimal configuration (400 mm pile diameter, 26 mm pipe diameter, 20 mm spacing, and 30° orientation), yielding improved thermal performance in both heating and cooling scenarios. Strong correlation between CFD and analytical results confirms the model’s validity. The third part involves a coupled thermo-mechanical analysis, evaluating the structural response of GEPs with circular, square, and triangular U-shaped pipe geometries through twoway coupling between ANSYS Fluent (thermal input) and Static Structural (mechanical analysis). Findings reveal that pipe geometry significantly influences both heat transfer and stress distribution. The triangular configuration demonstrates superior cooling efficiency due to enhanced internal convection but introduces localized stress concentrations that require structural consideration. Seasonal thermal loads induce geometry-dependent axial and shear stress patterns, with maximum displacement consistently occurring at the pile base. Overall, | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://dspace.univ-khenchela.dz:4000/handle/123456789/10504 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.title | Study of geothermal energy piles performances using CFD (Etude des performances des pieux à énergie géothermique par utilisation de la CFD) | |
| dc.type | Thesis |