TY - JOUR
T1 - Validity of Local Thermal Equilibrium Assumption for Heat Transfer in a Saturated Soil Layer
AU - Wang, Chu
AU - Fox, Patrick J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
PY - 2023/5/1
Y1 - 2023/5/1
N2 - The assumption of local thermal equilibrium (LTE) between solid and fluid phases commonly is used for studies of heat transfer in saturated soil and is valid for a wide range of conditions. However, for certain conditions, the heat transfer process may give rise to local thermal nonequilibrium (LTNE) in which adjacent solid and fluid phases have different temperatures. This note presents the results of a numerical study of the validity of the LTE assumption for one-dimensional heat transfer in a saturated soil layer with fluid flow. For the conditions investigated, the LTE assumption holds for soil with particle sizes smaller than the gravel range. For soil with particles sizes in the gravel range and larger, the LTE assumption may be valid or invalid, depending primarily on fluid discharge velocity, with higher fluid velocity values more likely to produce LTNE conditions.
AB - The assumption of local thermal equilibrium (LTE) between solid and fluid phases commonly is used for studies of heat transfer in saturated soil and is valid for a wide range of conditions. However, for certain conditions, the heat transfer process may give rise to local thermal nonequilibrium (LTNE) in which adjacent solid and fluid phases have different temperatures. This note presents the results of a numerical study of the validity of the LTE assumption for one-dimensional heat transfer in a saturated soil layer with fluid flow. For the conditions investigated, the LTE assumption holds for soil with particle sizes smaller than the gravel range. For soil with particles sizes in the gravel range and larger, the LTE assumption may be valid or invalid, depending primarily on fluid discharge velocity, with higher fluid velocity values more likely to produce LTNE conditions.
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U2 - 10.1061/JGGEFK.GTENG-11152
DO - 10.1061/JGGEFK.GTENG-11152
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85149676461
SN - 1090-0241
VL - 149
JO - Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
JF - Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
IS - 5
M1 - 06023002
ER -