The Soil-Water Characteristic Curve (SWCC) of unsaturated soil represents
the relationship between soil saturation and matric suction and plays an
important role in predicting the physical and mechanical properties of soil.
Existing studies have repor...
The Soil-Water Characteristic Curve (SWCC) of unsaturated soil represents
the relationship between soil saturation and matric suction and plays an
important role in predicting the physical and mechanical properties of soil.
Existing studies have reported the measurement of thermal conductivity and
changes in saturation based on the SWCC, but it is difficult to find a study on
the effect of temperature change on the relationship between saturation and
thermal conductivity. This study was conducted to accurately predict the
thermal conductivity of soil when temperature changes in the ground
significantly affect soil saturation, as observed in energy geostructures and
horizontal ground heat exchangers.In this study, experiments were conducted on Jumunjin Standard Sand to
analyze the effects of soil temperature, relative density, and saturation on
thermal conductivity. The results showed that thermal conductivity tends to
increase as relative density increases under the same temperature conditions.
On the other hand, under the same relative density conditions, temperature
changes significantly affect the slope of the SWCC and the degree of saturation,
and these differences influence the thermal conductivity. In particular,
saturation decreased rapidly with increasing temperature, and thermal
conductivity also showed a rapid decline. This is because water viscosity
decreases significantly with increasing temperature, leading to an increase in
water permeability. Additionally, thermal conductivity at the same temperature
conditions was higher at greater relative densities.
Based on the experimental results, parameters for the van Genuchten (1980)
SWCC model were calculated. The analysis revealed that the air entry value
(AEV) and air entry coefficient (𝛼 ) are affected by temperature, while the
inflection point coefficient (𝑛) and residual volumetric water content coefficient
(m) are relatively less sensitive to temperature changes.
Numerical analysis based on the experimental results showed that the heat
transfer characteristics of energy walls are strongly influenced by temperature
changes and soil thermal conductivity. In the saturated zone, high thermal
conductivity facilitates efficient heat diffusion, and the degradation of heat
transfer performance due to temperature changes is minimal. In contrast, in
the transition and residual zones, thermal conductivity decreases significantly
with rising temperatures, narrowing the heat diffusion range and reducing heat
transfer capacity. These findings suggest that temperature changes increase
soil moisture evaporation and air content in voids, leading to decreased heat
transfer. Therefore, careful consideration of soil thermal conductivity and
temperature conditions is essential for maximizing heat transfer efficiency in
the design and operation of energy walls.