Research & Development Conference Papers

A.H. de Bondt


GENERATION OF ENERGY VIA ASPHALT PAVEMENT SURFACES

prepared for

Asphaltica Padova

2003
P.O. Box 1 Phone +31 229 547700
1633 ZG Avenhorn Fax +31 229 547701
The Netherlands Internet www.ooms.nl
Asphaltica Padova - 3 december 2003 - page 1 of 8
Generation of Energy via Asphalt Pavement Surfaces

dr.ir. A.H. de Bondt Ooms Avenhorn Holding bv, the Netherlands (adebondt@ooms.nl)


Introduction

Due to their black surface, even in moderate climates such as for example in the
Netherlands, bituminous pavements can reach considerable temperatures during summer
time. This phenomenon, in combination with the increasing severity of truck loadings, has
sometimes caused dramatic rutting problems in recent years.

However, it should be realized that high asphalt temperatures also create opportunities. A
consortium consisting of several types of companies (Ooms Avenhorn Holding, WTH
vloerverwarming and TipSpit) was founded in 1997, in order to develop a methodology
which is in an efficient way capable of making use of the energy introduced in the pavement
by the sun. This methodology called Road Energy Systems

works in general in its simplest

form as follows: in summer, cold water is pumped up from a specific underground storage
medium (in the Netherlands often an aquifer) and transported through pipes in the upper
part of the asphaltic layers. Due to the effect of the sun, the water gets warm. Via an
exchanger, this heat is transported into another underground reservoir (the so-called hot
one) and stored at this location. In winter, the system operates in the opposite way (the
stored heat flows from the hot storage medium to the pavement).

The asphalt-aquifer system described above, only has the potential of cooling the pavement
in summer (thereby reducing rutting) and heating the pavement in winter (thereby
eliminating icy driving conditions). lt is obvious that a much more cost-effective and
environmentally friendly way of exploiting the investments for the transportation/storage
system can be obtained by introducing buildings and heat pumps. This also because
modern (office) buildings need a lot of (electrical) energy for cooling purposes in summer
time; partly due to the better insulation. Figure 1 illustrates the way in which the so-called
asphalt collector can be utilized.






















Figure 1 Principle of the Asphalt Collector

Asphaltica Padova - 3 december 2003 - page 2 of 8
First of all in this paper two important aspects of asphalt/building/aquifer systems will be
described in detail; thermal as well as (asphalt) pavement technology aspects.

Thermal Aspects

To enable reliable thermal design of these types of systems, an in-situ testing programme
was carried out in Hoorn, the Netherlands between 1998 and 2001 [1]. lt consisted of
measuring temperatures and flows at about 150 locations along different kind of specially
prepared (instrumented) pavement sections. Figure 2 gives an overview of the location,
whereas figure 3 shows typical data from these test sections [2].



















Figure 2 Overview of the Prototype Test Site























Figure 3 Typical Example of Measurements (Input and Output)
Asphaltica Padova - 3 december 2003 - page 3 of 8
Dutch Climatic Conditions
0,0
0,2
0,4
0,6
0,8
1,0
1,2
1,4
1,6
1,8
2,0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Inlet Temperature Water [C]
A
n
n
u
a
l

E
n
e
r
g
y

O
u
t
p
u
t

[
G
J
/
m

]

Heat
Cold
Wear i ng Cour se
15 mm
35 mm
Wea r i ng Cour se
15 mm
3 5 mm
Dutch Climatic Conditions
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Inlet Temperature Water [C]
A
v
e
r
a
g
e

O
u
t
p
u
t

T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e

W
a
t
e
r

[

C
]
Heat
Cold
We a r i n g C o u r s e
1 5 mm
3 5 mm
We a r i n g C o ur s e
3 5 mm
1 5 mm
The energy (heat as well as cold) which can be generated by an asphalt collector depends
on a large number of parameters, such as the input temperature of the fluid which is used as
a transport medium, the flow, the depth of the pipes within the pavement structure, the
thermal properties of the materials of the pavement structure, etc. By using the data from the
Hoorn test sections, a computational tool has been developed, which is capable of assessing
the performance of the asphalt collector for other climatic conditions than the Netherlands [2].

Figures 4 till 6 show relationships which can be utilized in the first phase of the design of an
energy concept in which an asphalt collector is applied. Note that these design curves are
only valid for Dutch climatic conditions.






















Figure 4 Example of Annual Energy Output Curve (Dutch Climatic Conditions)





















Figure 5 Example of Average Output Temperature Curve (Dutch Climatic Conditions)
Asphaltica Padova - 3 december 2003 - page 4 of 8
Dutch Climatic Conditions
Wearing Course 35 mm
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
-800 -600 -400 -200 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Capacity [W/m]
H
o
u
r
s

w
i
t
h

S
p
e
c
i
f
i
c

C
a
p
a
c
i
t
y

(
g
r
o
u
p
e
d

p
e
r

5
0

W
/
m

)
Inlet Temperature: 5 C
Inlet Temperature: 10 C
Inlet Temperature: 15 C
Inlet Temperature: 20 C
Inlet Temperature: 25 C





















Figure 6 Example of Distribution Capacity Curve (Dutch Climatic Conditions)


Road Construction Aspects

Since the Hoorn test sections were part of a heavily loaded route for the transport of sand
and aggregates, with slowly driving (overloaded) trucks, the situation was ideal to test also
to what extent the system could be optimized with respect to the laying process and
durability under mechanical loadings. Key factors (targets) in the development phase were
that a) the construction of an asphalt collector should be possible in a short period of time, in
order to keep the possibility that it could also be applied on existing pavements and b) that
one could be sure that the presence of the pipes would have no detrimental effect on the
lifetime of the pavement. Via several steps (using several prototypes) the system shown in
figure 7 has been found to be the optimum one.



















Figure 7 Overview of Final Asphalt Collector System
Asphaltica Padova - 3 december 2003 - page 5 of 8
In order to make it possible for the system to enter the market, since 1998 several
(innovative) actions have been carried out by Ooms Avenhorn Holding:

- a new laboratory test set-up was created to simulate the effect of the asphalt
compaction process on the (plastic) pipe, needed for the pipe selection process
- a three-dimensional grid was developed to fix and protect the pipe during the
laying and compaction of the asphalt mixture
- special grips were made to enable grid testing in the laboratory
- optimization of laying techniques and procedures for the pipe as well as the grid
(also near pavement edges, around corners, in curves, etc.)
- development of a tool for the estimation of the required cooling equipment for the
system during the laying of the (hot) asphalt mixture
- adaption of routine road construction quality control procedures
- finite element computations on pavement engineering aspects, see figure 8 [3]
- establishing of a pavement design approach for asphalt collector systems
- development of a special Sealoflex

polymer modified bitumen which enables to

achieve a high quality asphalt mixture in between the pipes and the grid. Criteria
for the bitumen development were: a reduced viscosity (also to fill the gaps), a
good low temperature performance (cracking resistance) and a good high
temperature performance (rutting resistance). The latter was achieved using the
zero shear viscosity as a parameter.
- tests on system extension and repair (the latter e.g. in case of traffic accidents)
- working on a recycling procedure to ensure that this is possible in future
























Figure 8 Finite Element Simulation of Asphalt Collector System


The presence of the collector system in the pavement is an interesting pavement
engineering challenge, because the consequences of the introduction of a pipe close to the
surface of a standard (usually applied) pavement structure is that around the pipe high
stresses are developed during the passage of a wheel load (see figure 9).

Asphaltica Padova - 3 december 2003 - page 6 of 8





























Figure 9 Stress Concentration in the Asphalt without Special Measures [4]


The way in which this problem has been tackled is that a relatively soft asphaltic mixture is
used, which has a high resistance to cracking due to stress concentrations. Furthermore,
the presence of the three-dimensional interlocking grid reduces crack growth. The expected
risk for permanent deformation, when using a softer asphaltic mixture, is taken into account
by the presence of the grid, the cooling generated by the system itself and modification of
the bitumen by means of polymers. With the latter option, the mixture design can be
adapted to the traffic loadings which can be expected (regular trucks, or e.g. aircraft on
platforms).

Besides these pavement engineering aspects, also other issues had to be solved, e.g.:

- investigations into legal aspects (ownership, responsibility, maintenance, etc.)
with respect to placing a collector system in a pavement
- inventory of organizational procedures for the exploitation of the energy

All in all, it can be concluded that an easy and quick laying/paving process of an asphalt
collector system has been developed, which enables to place the pipes close to the surface
of an asphalt pavement, without the disadvantage of stress concentrations induced by the
presence of the holes (the pipes). On top of this, the entire chain from the design of an
asphalt collector till the removal of it, has been examined and all problems which have come
across or can be expected to become important in future, have been tackled [5].


Asphaltica Padova - 3 december 2003 - page 7 of 8
Applications (Implementation Phase)

Since its development, the Road Energy Systems

asphalt collector system has been

applied in several projects in the Netherlands:

- at a complex of different type of buildings in Scharwoude (in a parking lot, a
municipal road, an industrial pavement and an entrance slope to a parking
garage); this in different phases between 2000 and 2003, in total roughly 2200 m
2

- an entrance road to a future industrial zone in Hoorn in 2002; roughly 3500 m
2

- a parking lot near an office in Dordrecht in 2003; roughly 500 m
2

- a bridge in Rotterdam in 2003; roughly 10000 m
2
(see figure 10)

Next Steps in the Implementation Phase

At the Scharwoude site, an extensive monitoring project is going on with the purpose of
providing a) long-term experience with respect to control strategies, reliability, etc. and b)
data on temperatures, flows and energy requirements on all key elements of the total system
(asphalt collector, underground storage reservoir and buildings). The data is utilized to verify
a software tool (PIA-RES

), which has been developed for the analysis of the interaction

between the asphalt collector, the underground storage system and the energy demand
(heating and cooling) of the buildings.





























Figure 10 Asphalt Collector System under Construction on a Bridge in Rotterdam


Once enough long-term experience is available, Ooms Avenhorn Holding will be searching
for foreign partners to export this technology.
Asphaltica Padova - 3 december 2003 - page 8 of 8
Conclusion

Asphalt pavements can have a significant contribution in reducing the CO
2
-emissions which
are produced when heating and cooling buildings. This by making use of their capability to
collect heat and cold in an efficient way during the entire year. By means of an enormous
amount of R&D-activities by Ooms Avenhorn Holding, this has become practically applicable.

References

1. de Bondt, A.H.; Jansen, R. and van Rij, H. Test Sections Road Energy Systems

Hoorn, 1998 2001 (in Dutch).
2. Loomans, M.; Oversloot, H.; de Bondt, A.H.; Jansen, R. and van Rij, H. Design Tool
for the Thermal Energy Potential of Asphalt Pavements. 8
th
International IBPSA
Conference, Eindhoven 2003.
3. van Bijsterveld, W.T. and de Bondt, A.H. Structural Aspects of Pavement Heating and
Cooling Systems. 3
rd
International Symposium on Finite Elements, Amsterdam 2002.
4. van Bijsterveld, W.T. Energy from Asphalt - Analysis of Structural and Thermal
Aspects. MSc-Thesis, Delft University of Technology, 2000.
5. van Bijsterveld, W.T. and de Bondt, A.H. Structural Aspects of Road Energy
Systems

. Internal Report, Draft 2003.