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Numerical investigation on the nanofluid heat transfer enhancement in ground heat exchanger

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  • Liu, Qinggong
  • Lv, Chao
  • Wen, Minjie
  • Wang, Yong

Abstract

A ground-coupled heat pump system is an energy-efficient building service device that utilizes geothermal energy for heating or cooling buildings through a ground heat exchanger (GHE). With its ability to accomplish energy transfer, the GHE is a key component of ground-coupled heat pump system. In this study, CuO/water nanofluid was employed as working fluid in GHE, and its performance was investigated both numerically and experimentally. Initially, a series of numerical investigations of nanofluid flow and energy transfer within the spiral pipe under a constant wall temperature boundary condition were conducted using homogeneous single-phase, thermal dispersion, and discrete phase models, respectively, and the accuracy and applicability of these models were compared and analyzed. Among them, the thermal dispersion model demonstrated simplicity and high accuracy, making it suitable for modeling nanofluid flow and heat transfer in GHE. Based on this model, a 3D numerical model of nanofluid GHE heat transfer enhancement was developed and validated against experimental data, achieving a maximum mean error of 3.94 %. This study successfully addressed the challenges of significant time-lag and multi-scale coupled heat transfer between nanofluid and ground in GHE. The findings are expected to provide valuable insights into future numerical studies of nanofluids in GHE systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Liu, Qinggong & Lv, Chao & Wen, Minjie & Wang, Yong, 2025. "Numerical investigation on the nanofluid heat transfer enhancement in ground heat exchanger," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 244(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:244:y:2025:i:c:s0960148125004197
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2025.122757
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    References listed on IDEAS

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