What are the factors that affect the thermal conductivity of sand?5 answersThe factors that affect the thermal conductivity of sand include soil porosity, degree of saturation, coefficient of uniformity, coefficient of curvature, mean particle size, minimum and maximum void ratios, stress state, mineralogy, testing temperatures, particle shape, rubber content, net stress, and initial degree of saturation. These factors influence the interparticle contact area, the topology of cementation, and the reduction in void ratio, which in turn affect the thermal conductivity of sand. The thermal conductivity of sand increases with the rise of vertical stress and the dry density, as well as with an increase in water content. Additionally, the thermal conductivity of sand-rubber mixtures is strongly dependent on void ratio, rubber content, degree of saturation, and net stress. Overall, understanding these factors is crucial for designing efficient geothermal systems, predicting soil temperatures, and assessing soil contamination.
What is the effect of porosity on heat distribution?4 answersThe effect of porosity on heat distribution depends on various factors. In some cases, increasing porosity can enhance heat transfer by increasing flow coherence and promoting the shedding of plumes. However, at low Prandtl numbers, decreasing porosity can inhibit the shedding of plumes and laminarize the flow, leading to a decrease in heat transfer. Additionally, the conduction effect of separated porous media in the bulk region has been found to have limited influence on global heat transfer. Furthermore, the porosity distribution within a system can also affect heat transfer performance, with certain porosity gradients improving the average heat transfer rate. Overall, the relationship between porosity and heat distribution is complex and depends on the specific conditions and system configurations.
How does a porous microstructure decrease the thermal conductivity?4 answersA porous microstructure decreases thermal conductivity by increasing phonon scattering and reducing thermal contacts between particles. The presence of pores in materials such as α-alumina and β-Ga2O3 leads to a decrease in thermal conductivity. The decrease in conductivity is attributed to the breaking of contacts between particles past a certain porosity, known as the critical porosity pc. In β-Ga2O3, the existence of micropores, vacancies, and macropores causes strong enhancement in phonon scattering, resulting in an extremely low thermal conductivity. The effective thermal conductivity of porous structures, regardless of pore type (open or closed), approaches the thermal conductivity of the gas inside the pores as porosity increases. Additionally, reducing the thermal accommodation coefficient and implementing nm-scale pores in the materials or reducing the pressure inside existing pores can further diminish the effective thermal conductivity of porous structures. The effective contact area between pore gas and solid matrix is a key factor for the thermal insulation performance of porous insulation materials.
Why does lattice thermal conductivity in metals decrease with temperature?5 answersLattice thermal conductivity in metals decreases with temperature due to the dominant contribution of electronic degrees of freedom to thermal conductivity in metals. Phonons, which are responsible for thermal conductivity in insulators, do not significantly contribute to thermal conductivity in metals. Instead, metals have a continuum electronic system with bosons as excitations, known as CB-bosons, which propagate ballistically and are the predominant carriers of thermal conductivity. The heat capacity of the CB-boson field is proportional to thermal conductivity, and it tends to zero at higher temperatures as thermal energy is transferred to atomistic degrees of freedom. This results in a finite and nearly temperature-independent thermal conductivity in metals. Therefore, the decrease in lattice thermal conductivity with temperature in metals is attributed to the transition from the CB-boson field to atomistic conduction band states.
Whats the effect thermal conductivity for porous media5 answersThe effective thermal conductivity of porous media is influenced by various factors such as the solid/fluid conductivity ratio, micro- and macro-porosities, contact resistance at the micro-scale, and porosity. The effective thermal conductivity of bi-dispersed porous media is smaller than that of mono-dispersed porous media due to the contact resistance at the micro-scale and higher porosity. The composition and connectivity of the solid in the geometry, as well as the Peclet number, play a key role in determining the effective thermal conductivity in complex porous media. A three-cell two-phase model is proposed to calculate the thermal conductivity of porous media, which predicts values between the Hashin-Shtrikman bounds. A novel theoretical model based on the Laplace's Equation and fractal distribution characteristics of solid particles is derived to accurately calculate the effective thermal conductivity in granular porous media. The macroscopic thermal conductivity of porous materials is affected by microscopic system parameters such as porosity, Reynolds number, periodic unit aspect ratio, and interfacial thermal conductance.
What are the mechanisms of natural convection in porous media?5 answersStep 1: Answer without citation
Natural convection in porous media is influenced by the Rayleigh number, pore size, and porosity. The Darcy–Oberbeck–Boussinesq (DOB) equations are commonly used for simulations, but they do not capture the nonlinear scaling trends observed in direct numerical simulations (DNS). The Sherwood number is found to have a nonlinear relationship with the Rayleigh number, depending on porosity and pore-scale parameters. Additionally, the boundary layer thickness is determined by the pore size, contrary to previous assumptions. The study also proposes a new correlation for the Sherwood number at large Rayleigh numbers, low Darcy numbers, and high Schmidt numbers, validated across various conditions.
Step 3: Answer with citation
Natural convection in porous media is influenced by the Rayleigh number, pore size, and porosity. The Darcy–Oberbeck–Boussinesq (DOB) equations are commonly used for simulations, but they do not capture the nonlinear scaling trends observed in direct numerical simulations (DNS). The Sherwood number is found to have a nonlinear relationship with the Rayleigh number, depending on porosity and pore-scale parameters. Additionally, the boundary layer thickness is determined by the pore size, contrary to previous assumptions. The study also proposes a new correlation for the Sherwood number at large Rayleigh numbers, low Darcy numbers, and high Schmidt numbers, validated across various conditions.