Thermomechanical Analysis and Parametric Study of Geothermal Energy Piles in Sand
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 17, Issue 9
Abstract
Response of geothermal energy piles in sand under combined thermal and mechanical loading was investigated in the present work using a nonlinear axisymmetric finite-element (FE) analysis procedure. In this study, the piles were considered to behave linear-elastically. The stress-strain behavior of sand was simulated using a state parameter–based constitutive clay-and-sand model (CASM), which was implemented in FE software through a user material subroutine. The geothermal energy piles of different lengths and diameters with floating and end-bearing conditions in sand were analyzed under mechanical and thermomechanical loading to study the displacements of soil and pile through axial and radial strains in the pile and axial stress in the pile. In addition, parametric sensitivity studies were carried out by varying the relative density of sand and thermal load on the pile. Results showed that the relative density of the sand, applied thermal load on the pile, and the end condition of the pile govern the relative displacement between pile and soil. Also, axial stresses under thermomechanical loading were greater than they were under only mechanical loading.
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the financial support provided by the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC), Department of Science and Technology (DST), and Government of India for carrying out the work reported herein.
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Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 17 • Issue 9 • September 2017
Copyright
© 2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 27, 2015
Accepted: Mar 14, 2017
Published online: Jun 26, 2017
Published in print: Sep 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Nov 26, 2017
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