To uilize the shallow geothermal energy, heat pumps are often coupled with borehole heat exchangers (BHE) for heating and cooling buildings. In cold regions, soil freezing around the BHE is a potential problem which can seriously influence the underground soil temperature distribution, inlet and outlet fluid temperature of the BHE, and thus the efficiency of the whole GSHP system. The influence of the freezing process on the overall system performance is investigated by comparing different BHE configuration with and without latent heat effect from the frozen groundwater. The coefficient of performance (COP) of the heat pump will alter when freezing process in taken into account and lead to various electricity consumption. Except for the efficiency aspect, the freezing behavior can also lead to the redistribution of pore pressure and fluid flow, and in some extreme cases can even result in frost damage to the BHEs. A fully coupled thermohydro-mechanical model is required for advanced system design and scenario analyses. Based on the framework of the Theory of Porous Media, a triphasic freezing model is derived and solved with the finite element method. Ice formation in the porous medium results from a coupled heat and mass transfer problem with phase transition and is accompanied by volume expansion. The model is able to capture various coupled physical phenomena through the freezing process including the latent heat effect, groundwater flow with porosity change and mechanical deformation. With this kind of THM freezing model, we are also able to solve different kinds of engineering problem, e.g. geotechnics, construction engineering and material engineering.

Recently observed cumulation of unexpected collapses of slope-distant waste dumps in lignite mining areas of eastern germany re-initiated research of soil liquefaction. Especially it turned the question of internal initials that correspond to water rise. Parallel to laboritory tests and field experiments a micromechanical model should be developed, which can reproduce processes in the soil during saturation. In first approximation a partly saturated soil consists of two phases: the soil particles and the pore fluid. For micromechanical modeling a coupling of discontinuum particles) and continuum (fluid) is required. The soil particles can be simulated with the Discrete-Element-Method (DEM). For the pore fluid, which is assumed to be a mixture of liquid and gaseous fractions, Pore scale model with Finite Volumes (PFV) is used. At low water content liquid bridges (meniscii) arise between the particles that cause an apparent cohesion. The effect of the meniscii is considered by a correspondingly contact law in the DEM model. During the saturation of a soil both, cohesive effect and fluid bulk modulus, are reduced. In addition buoyancy acts on the particles during the process. The micromechanical modeling approach has the advantage, that just a few model parameters are needed. The numerical model shows pore fluid pressures during saturation process, that leads to a reduction of effective stress. It is investigated how much the reduction is regarding porosity, degree of saturation, stress conditions and grain shape. Furthermore the influence of model parameters as well as hydromechanics is investigated. The investigations are completed with another series of experiments under special conditions like integration of macropores, horizontal fixed model boundaries and abrupt saturation.

Recently observed cumulation of unexpected collapses of slope-distant waste dumps in lignite mining areas of eastern germany re-initiated research of soil liquefaction. Especially it turned the question of internal initials that correspond to water rise. Parallel to laboritory tests and field experiments a micromechanical model should be developed, which can reproduce processes in the soil during saturation. In first approximation a partly saturated soil consists of two phases: the soil particles and the pore fluid. For micromechanical modeling a coupling of discontinuum particles) and continuum (fluid) is required. The soil particles can be simulated with the Discrete-Element-Method (DEM). For the pore fluid, which is assumed to be a mixture of liquid and gaseous fractions, Pore scale model with Finite Volumes (PFV) is used. At low water content liquid bridges (meniscii) arise between the particles that cause an apparent cohesion. The effect of the meniscii is considered by a correspondingly contact law in the DEM model. During the saturation of a soil both, cohesive effect and fluid bulk modulus, are reduced. In addition buoyancy acts on the particles during the process. The micromechanical modeling approach has the advantage, that just a few model parameters are needed. The numerical model shows pore fluid pressures during saturation process, that leads to a reduction of effective stress. It is investigated how much the reduction is regarding porosity, degree of saturation, stress conditions and grain shape. Furthermore the influence of model parameters as well as hydromechanics is investigated. The investigations are completed with another series of experiments under special conditions like integration of macropores, horizontal fixed model boundaries and abrupt saturation.:Einleitung Literaturauswertung Numerische Modellierung Modellstudien Ergebnisauswertung Zusammenfassung Extended summary