SUBWAY | 2019
WHAT IS THE INFLUENCE OF AIRFLOWS ON THE ENERGY, GEOTECHNICAL, AND STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE OF ENERGY TUNNELS?
The SUBWAY project investigates the influence of internal airflows on the energy, geotechnical, and structural performance of energy tunnels: innovative underground infrastructures that function as shallow geothermal heat exchangers for providing renewable heating and cooling to general built environments.
Energy tunnels allow the harvesting of untapped heat at shallow depths in the underground to meet the thermal energy requirements of buildings and infrastructures over large areas. Such heat can derive from two sources: the ground surrounding energy tunnels and the air circulating in the environment internal to these tunnels.
Looking at the previous challenge, this work develops an integrated set of 3-D computational analyses, including finite element and computational fluid dynamics simulations, to unravel the influence of airflows circulating in underground tunnels on the related amount of energy that they can harvest as well as on the deformations they undergo as a result of this heat exchange.
This project targets the development of competence that will ultimately help deploy a disruptive innovation for present and future cities, serving a renewable energy supply from the building to the district scales.
Project team
 Alessandro F. Rotta Loria Assistant Professor |
 Manlu Zhang M.S. Student |
 Matthias Wojnarowicz M.S. Student |
Project team
Alessandro F. Rotta Loria Assistant Professor |
Manlu Zhang M.S. Student |
Matthias Wojnarowicz M.S. Student |
In collaboration with:
Journal publications
→ Peltier, M., Rotta Loria, A. F., Lepage L., Garin E. and Laloui, L. (2019). Numerical modelling of convection heat transfer driven by airflows. Applied Thermal Engineering. 159:113844.
→ Cousin, B., Rotta Loria, A. F., Bourget, A., Rognon, F. and Laloui, L. (2019). Energy performance and economic feasibility of energy segmental linings for subway tunnels. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology. 91:102997.
→ Dornberger, S., Rotta Loria, A. F., Epard, J.-L. and Turberg, P. (2021). Heat exchange potential of energy tunnels for different internal airflow characteristics. Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment. December: 100229.
→ Rotta Loria, A. F., Di Donna, A. and Zhang, M. (2022). Stresses and deformations caused by geothermal operations of energy tunnels exchange potential of energy tunnels. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology. 124 (June 2022): 104438