Speaker
Description
The present study investigates heat transfer and heat distribution within soil profiles under controlled non-adiabatic experimental conditions, with particular emphasis on the effects of soil moisture content, porosity, mineral composition, and compaction on soil thermal behavior. The water content in soil plays a dominant role in heat transfer because of its high specific heat capacity and the phase changes that occur during heating. This effect becomes more pronounced with increasing moisture content, particularly at 15%. Experimental measurements were performed on particularly different soil samples collected from two locations, with a constant porosity of 50% and varying moisture contents of 0.2% (dry soil), 10%, and 15%.
To eliminate the influence of heat loss associated with non-adiabatic conditions, a reference water system was employed under identical experimental conditions. Analysis of heat distribution showed that thermal energy was partitioned among the mineral, water, and air phases of the soil. The specific heat capacities of the dominant mineral constituents—quartz, calcite, albite, muscovite, clinochlore, and gypsum—were determined and evaluated in relation to the overall thermal response of the soil. The results demonstrate that heat transfer in soils is controlled by complex interactions among moisture content, water phase transitions, mineralogical composition, soil structure, porosity, and bulk density. A comprehensive understanding of these mechanisms is essential for improving soil temperature modelling, evaluating its thermal potential, and supporting agricultural and environmental applications involving heat transport through the soil systems.
Keywords: soil heat transfer, thermal conductivity, moisture, porosity, mineral composition, phase transitions.