Large-Scale Freezing and Thawing Model Experiment and Analysis of Water–Heat Coupling Processes in Agricultural Soils in Cold Regions
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Similarity Scale for Geotechnical Modeling Tests
2.2. Experiment Design
2.2.1. Test Equipment
2.2.2. Model Design and Production
2.2.3. Measuring Instrument Arrangement
- (1)
- Temperature field monitoring
- (2)
- Layered water content monitoring
2.2.4. Meteorological Conditions in the Field Test Section
2.2.5. Temperature Control Program for Indoor Model Tests
3. Test Results and Analysis
3.1. Temperature Development of the Samples
3.2. Measurement of Sample Water Content
4. Frozen Soil Hydrothermal Coupling Equation
4.1. Model Assumptions
- (1)
- Moisture migration is observed in the form of liquid water and follows the generalized Darcy’s law, which describes the flow of fluids through porous media.
- (2)
- The presence of gaseous water and its transformation into liquid water are not taken into account in this study.
- (3)
- The influence of salts and mineral ions on the migration of water is not considered in the analysis.
- (4)
- The soil is assumed to be an isotropic material, meaning that its heat transfer properties are uniform in all directions.
- (5)
- The calculation assumes that there is no loss of temperature and that the water content and temperature in the permafrost are in equilibrium.
- (6)
- The soil particles, liquid water, and ice are assumed to be incompressible, meaning that their volume does not change under pressure.
4.2. Moisture Equation of Motion
4.3. Heat Flow Migration Equation
4.4. Phase Change Dynamic Equilibrium Relationship
4.5. Theoretical Model of Water–Heat Coupling in Frozen Soil Based on Relative Saturation
4.6. Model Validation
5. Conclusions
- (1)
- The large-scale geotechnical model test is conducted using similarity theory, where the prototype project is scaled up and replicated in the laboratory. This allows for the simulation of the large-span and long-time cryogenic process of the engineering prototype within a shorter time frame.
- (2)
- The cooling process of soil can be categorized into three phases: rapid cooling, slow cooling, and freezing stabilization. In the initial stage, the soil temperature decreases rapidly, with the main occurrence of violent water-ice phase transitions. As the soil depth increases, the volatility of the soil temperature gradually diminishes. During the freezing stage, the freezing line, represented by the 0 °C temperature contour, moves downward as the external ambient temperature decreases, indicating an increase in freezing depth. In the thawing stage, the temperature of the upper surface of the soil gradually rises with the increase in external ambient temperature, signifying an increase in thawing depth.
- (3)
- Throughout the melting stage, the soil water content exhibits a gradual increase as the temperature rises. The range of variation in water content at depths of 30 cm, 40 cm, 50 cm, and 80 cm during the melting stage was found to be 0.12% to 0.52%, 0.47% to 1.08%, 0.46% to 1.96%, and 0.8% to 3.23%, respectively.
- (4)
- By employing the principles of mass conservation, energy conservation, Darcy’s law of unsaturated soil water flow, and the theory of heat conduction, a theoretical model of soil water–heat coupling was constructed. This model incorporates relative saturation and temperature as functions of the field and demonstrates a good match between the simulated temperature field and moisture field with the measured data. This indicates the effectiveness of the numerical model in revealing the freezing and thawing mechanisms of cold-region farmland soil.
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Physical Quantity | Model Scale (Ratio of Prototype to Model) |
---|---|
lengths | N |
Density | 1 |
Cohesion | 1 |
Angle of internal friction | 1 |
Temperature | 1 |
Thermal Diffusion Coefficient | 1 |
Thermal conductivity | 1 |
Pore water pressure | 1 |
Time (unfrozen water migration) | N2 |
Time (heat exchange) | N2 |
Parameter | Value | Unit | Parameter | Value | Unit |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Hai, M.; Su, A.; Wang, M.; Gao, S.; Lu, C.; Guo, Y.; Xiao, C. Large-Scale Freezing and Thawing Model Experiment and Analysis of Water–Heat Coupling Processes in Agricultural Soils in Cold Regions. Water 2024, 16, 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16010019
Hai M, Su A, Wang M, Gao S, Lu C, Guo Y, Xiao C. Large-Scale Freezing and Thawing Model Experiment and Analysis of Water–Heat Coupling Processes in Agricultural Soils in Cold Regions. Water. 2024; 16(1):19. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16010019
Chicago/Turabian StyleHai, Mingwei, Anshuang Su, Miao Wang, Shijun Gao, Chuan Lu, Yanxiu Guo, and Chengyuan Xiao. 2024. "Large-Scale Freezing and Thawing Model Experiment and Analysis of Water–Heat Coupling Processes in Agricultural Soils in Cold Regions" Water 16, no. 1: 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16010019
APA StyleHai, M., Su, A., Wang, M., Gao, S., Lu, C., Guo, Y., & Xiao, C. (2024). Large-Scale Freezing and Thawing Model Experiment and Analysis of Water–Heat Coupling Processes in Agricultural Soils in Cold Regions. Water, 16(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16010019