Energy tunnels for heating and cooling

This paper focuses on the possibility of thermal activation of tunnel linings. Particularly, attention will be paid on a new energy segment that can be used together with TBM tunnelling to create so-called ‘energy tunnels’. Design analysis to quantify the exploitable heat and to assess the possible consequences on the surrounding ground and the structure itself makes effective use of computational methods. The paper shows how thermo-hydro and thermo-mechanical numerical analyses can be used to allow for a proper and effective design of energy tunnels. Two examples of possible applications will also be presented.