Heat and mass transfer in unsaturated porous media
Abstract
A preliminary study of heat and water transport in unsaturated porous media is presented. Background information regarding the feasibility of seasonal thermal energy storage in unconfined aquifers is provided. A parametric analysis of the factors of importance, and an annotated bibliography of research findings pertinent to unconfined aquifer thermal energy storage are presented. This analysis shows that heat and mass transfer of water vapor assume dominate importance in unsaturated porous media at elevated temperature. Although water vapor fluxes are seldom as large as saturated medium liquid water fluxes, they are important under unsaturated conditions. The major heat transport mechanism for unsaturated porous media at temperatures from 50 to 900C is latent heat flux. The mechanism is nonexistent under saturated conditions but may well control design of unconfined aquifer storage systems. The parametric analysis treats detailed physical phenomena which occur in the flow systems study and demonstrates the temperature and moisture dependence of the transport coefficients of importance.
- Publication:
-
Final Report Oregon State Univ
- Pub Date:
- February 1982
- Bibcode:
- 1982osuc.rept.....C
- Keywords:
-
- Aquifers;
- Heat Storage;
- Heat Transfer;
- Mass Transfer;
- Porous Materials;
- Energy Storage;
- Energy Transfer;
- Fluid Flow;
- Geology;
- Latent Heat;
- Porosity;
- Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer