Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T10:40:20.678Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Behavior of Moist Soils in a Thermal Energy Field

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2024

Hans F. Winterkorn*
Affiliation:
Princeton University, Princeton, New Yersey, USA
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

An account is given of the soil thermal resistivity problem faced by the electric power industry and its co-operative engineering solution. Data obtained in this activity and collected from other sources are employed to check the validity of various concepts that hare been developed to explain the phenomena observed when soils, composed of solid, liquid and gaseous phases, are placed in a thermal energy field. It is shown that formulas based on simple parallel or series arrangement of the component phases cannot account for the actual thermal transmission properties of moist soils. Nor can any one of the moisture transfer mechanisms, that have been proposed in explanation of the water movement associated with heat conduction in moist soils, by itself account for the observed magnitudes of thermal conductivity. Analysis of pertinent data renders it very probable that both evaporation-condensation and oriented film mechanisms must be involved in the coupled heat and moisture transport. What really takes place is an intricate interaction of a number of different events that can be understood qualitatively on the basis of the best available knowledge of soil-water interaction and its temperature dependence. Much work, however, remains to be done before a quantitative understanding can even be approached. The nature and magnitude of the remaining scientific problem can be appraised from the following pertinent statement by Szent-György. (1958) “The complexity of the situation with its very subtle equilibria makes conditions most colorful and begins to resemble the subtle complexity which characterizes life.”

Type
Symposium on the Engineering Aspects of the Physico-Chemical Properties of Clays
Copyright
Copyright © The Clay Minerals Society 1960

Footnotes

Account of an engineering research project and of the physico-chemical significance of some of its results.

References

Aristotle (322 b.c.) Opera Omnia, Meteorologica, liber IV.Google Scholar
Baver, L. D. and Winterkorn, H. F. (1935) Sorption of liquids by soil colloids, II. Soil Sci., v. 40, pp. 403419.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brookes, A. S. and McGrath, M. H. (1960) Practical application—trench design and construction: in Soil Thermal Characteristics in Relation to Underground Power Cables, AIEE Transaction paper no. 60-785, pp. 95105.Google Scholar
Burger, H. C. (1919) Das Leitvermögen verdünnter mischkristallfreier Legierungen: Phys. Z., v. 20, pp. 7376.Google Scholar
Burreil, R. W. (1956) Industry turns to soil research: Electrical World, v. 145, pp. 101104.Google Scholar
Cameron, A. W. W. and Brookes, A. S. (1960) Measurement techniques: in Soil Thermal Characteristics in Relation to Underground Power Cables, AIEE Transaction paper no. 60 785, pp. 106126.Google Scholar
Chaptal, L. (1932) La lutte contre la sécheresse: Nature, no. 2893, pp. 449454.Google Scholar
Del Mar, W. A., Burrell, R. W. and Bauer, C. A. (1960) Soil types—identification and physical properties: in Soil Thermal Characteristics in Relation to Underground Power Cables, AIEE Transaction paper no. 60-785, pp. 1033.Google Scholar
Vries, De (1952) Het Wärmtegeleidingsvermögen van Grond; Doctoral Thesis, Rijksuniversiteit, Leiden.Google Scholar
Eudken, A. and Kuhn, G. (1928) Ergebnisse neuer Messungen der Wärmeleitfähigkeit fester kristallisierter Stoffe bei 0° und -190°C: Z. Phys. Chem., v. 134, pp. 193219; also Forschungsheß, no. 353, V.D.I. Berlin (1932).Google Scholar
Fink, L. H. (1960) Soil moisture characteristics: in Soil Thermal Characteristics in Relation to Underground Power Cables, AIEE Transaction paper no. 60-785, pp. 3370.Google Scholar
Gowda, K. R. S. and Winterkorn, H. F. (1949) Theoretical and experimental exploration of the practical possibilities of electroosmosis: Final Report on Beach Stabilization Research (1947-1949) Part V, Bureau of Yards and Docks, U.S. Navy, NOy-15087, pp. 454562.Google Scholar
Henniker, J. C. and McBain, J. W. (1948) The depth of a surface zone of a liquid: Stanford Research Institute, Technical Report N 6 ori 154 T.O. 11.Google Scholar
Highway Research Board (1958) International Symposium on Water and its Conduction in Soils: Special Report 40, Nat. Research Council, publ. 629.Google Scholar
Kersten, M. S. (1949) Thermal properties of soils: Eng. Exp. Sta., University of Minnesota, Bull. 28.Google Scholar
Kitell, C. (1956) Introduction to Solid State Physics: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York, 2nd ed.Google Scholar
Kolyasev, F. E. and Gupalo, A. I. (1958) On the correlation between heat and moisture properties of soils: Highway Research Board, Special Rep. 40, pp. 106112.Google Scholar
Maxwell, J. C. (1881) Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism, chap. 9, Conduction through heterogeneous media, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 2nd ed., pp. 398411.Google Scholar
Roy, S. E. and Winterkorn, H. F. (1957) Scintillation methods for the determination of density and moisture content of soils and similar granular systems: Highway Research Board Bull. 159, pp. 158235.Google Scholar
Sinclair, W. A., Buller, F. H. and Benham, C. B. (1960) Soil thermal resistivity typical field values and calculating formulas: in Soil Thermal Characteristics in Relation to Underground Power Cables, AIEE Transaction paper no. 60-785, pp. 7194.Google Scholar
Smith, W. O. and Byers, H. G. (1938) The thermal conductivity of dry soils of certain of the great soil groups: Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. v. 3, pp. 1319.Google Scholar
Smith, W. O. (1939) Thermal conductivities in moist soils: Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc., v. 4, pp. 3240.Google Scholar
Szent-György, A. (1958) Water structure and bioenergetics: in Water and its Conduction in Soils, Highway Research Board, Special Rep. 40, pp. 1416.Google Scholar
van Rooyen, M. and Winterkorn, H. F. (1957) Theoretical and practical aspects of the thermal conductivity of soils and similar granular systems: Highway Research Board Bull. 168, pp. 143205.Google Scholar
van Rooyen, M. and Winterkorn, H. F. (1959) Structural and textural influences on thermal conductivity of soils: Proc. Highway Research Board, v. 38, pp. 576621.Google Scholar
Volger, G. E. O. (1877) Eine nem Würdigung der Quellenlehre des Aristoteles: Freies Deutsches Hochstift, Frankfurt a. Main.Google Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F. (1936a) Studies on the surface behavior of bentonites and clays: Soil Sci. v. 41, pp. 2532.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F. (1936b) La química y la construccion de caminos a bajo costo: Caminos (Argentina) v. 2, no. 3, pp. 4953.Google Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F. (1937a) The application of base exchange and soil physics to problems of highway construction: Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. v. 1, pp. 9399.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F. (1937b) Surface-chemical factors influencing the engineering properties of soils: Proc. 16th Annual Meeting, Highway Research Board, pp. 293308.Google Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F. (1940) Physico-chemical testing of soils and the application of the results in practice: Proc. 20th Annual Meeting, Highway Research Board, pp. 798806.Google Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F. (1944) Climate and highways: Trans. Amer. Geophys. Un. Pt. III, pp. 405411.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F. (1946) Principles and practice of soil stabilization: in Colloid Chemistry (edited by Alexander, J.): Reinhold Publishing Corporation, v. VI, pp. 459492.Google Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F. (1947) Fundamental similarities between electroosmosis and thermo- osmosis: Proc. Highway Research Board, v. 27, pp. 443455.Google Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F. (1955a) Water movement through porous hydrophilic systems under capillary, electric and thermal potentials: in A.S.T.M. Symposium on Permeability of Soils, Special Techn. Publication no. 163, pp. 2735.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F. (1955b) Potentials in moisture migration: in Proc. Conference on Building Materials, Ottawa, Canada (Oct. 1953), Division of Building Research, National Research Council of Canada, Bull. 1, pp. 86101.Google Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F. (1955c) Discussion, "Suction forces in soils upon freezing": Proc. Amer. Soc. Civil Eng., v. 81, Separate no. 656, pp. 69.Google Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F. (1955d) A research program on the "aerial well": Engineer's Bull., Denver, Colorado, v. 39, no. 11, pp. 10, 11, 23.Google Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F. (1958a) Soil water interactions and water conduction in soils: in Water Supply, The Princeton Conference Series 12, pp. 4383.Google Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F. (1958b) Mass transport in moist porous systems as viewed from the thermodynamics of irreversible processes: Highway Research Board, Special Rep. 40, pp. 324338.Google Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F. (1958c) Theory and practice of soil densification: in Power Apparatus and Systems: No. 39, American Institute of Electrical Engineers, pp. 10601070.Google Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F. and Baver, L. D. (1934) Sorption of liquids by soil colloids, I: Soil Sci., v. 38, pp. 291298.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F. and Choudhury, A. N. D. (1949) Importance of volume relations in soil stabilization: Proc. Highway Research Board, v. 29, pp. 553560.Google Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F. and Eckert, G. W. (1940a) Physico-chemical factors of importance in bituminous soil stabilization: Proc. Assoc. Asphalt Paving Technologists, v. 11, pp. 204 to 257.Google Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F. and Eckert, G. W. (1940b) Consistency and physico-chemical properties of a Loess Pampeano soil, I. Soil Sci. v. 49, pp. 7382. II. Ibid, v. 49, pp. 479-188.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F., Gibbs, H. J. and Fehrman, R. G. (1942) Surface-chemical factors of importance in the hardening of soils by means of portland cement: Proc. 22nd Annual Meeting, Highway Research Board, v. 22, pp. 385414.Google Scholar
Winterkorn, H. F. and Moorman, R. B. B. (1941) A study of changes in physical properties of Putnam soil induced by ionic substitution: Proc. 21st Annual Meeting, Highway Research Board, pp. 415434.Google Scholar
Wiseman, R. J. and Burell, R. W. (1960) Problem and objective: in Soil Thermal Characteristics in Relation to Underground Power Cables, AIEE Transaction Paper no. 60-785, pp. 29.Google Scholar
Woodside, W. and Cliffe, J. B. (1959) Heat and moisture transfer in closed systems of two granular materials: Soil Sci. v. 87, no. 2, pp. 7582.Google Scholar