Determination of Thermal Conductivity Properties of Coastal Soils for GSHPs and Energy Geostructure Applications in Mexico
The thermal conductivity of soils is a fundamental parameter for the design of ground-source heat pump systems (GSHPs) and energy geostructures. This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of the physical, mineralogical, and thermal characteristics of typical coastal soils from Tabasco, Mexico. T...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/17/5479 |
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| author | Norma Patricia López-Acosta Alan Igor Zaragoza-Cardiel David Francisco Barba-Galdámez |
| author_facet | Norma Patricia López-Acosta Alan Igor Zaragoza-Cardiel David Francisco Barba-Galdámez |
| author_sort | Norma Patricia López-Acosta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The thermal conductivity of soils is a fundamental parameter for the design of ground-source heat pump systems (GSHPs) and energy geostructures. This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of the physical, mineralogical, and thermal characteristics of typical coastal soils from Tabasco, Mexico. Twenty-five soil samples from four different strata were studied using the thermal needle probe method, X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and standard geotechnical soil classification tests. The results showed a significant correlation between the dry density and porosity with the thermal conductivity of the studied samples, which ranged between 1.17 and 2.32 W m<sup>−1</sup> K<sup>−1</sup>. The performed statistical analyses indicated that coarse-grained soils had larger thermal conductivities and higher variability than fine-grained soils. Additionally, the performance of six models to estimate the thermal conductivity of soils was validated against the experimental data. All models provided accurate estimations for fine-grained soils, but only the effective medium theory (EMT) showed an adequate fit for coarse-grained soils. The results represent one of the first datasets for the thermal properties of Mexican soils. They will contribute to the implementation of GSHPs and energy geostructures in the country and locations with similar subsoil conditions, especially where time and resources are not available for their experimental determination. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:12:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ba0891ecf1d5415aaad99ab2405c94cc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:12:59Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-ba0891ecf1d5415aaad99ab2405c94cc2023-11-22T10:35:15ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732021-09-011417547910.3390/en14175479Determination of Thermal Conductivity Properties of Coastal Soils for GSHPs and Energy Geostructure Applications in MexicoNorma Patricia López-Acosta0Alan Igor Zaragoza-Cardiel1David Francisco Barba-Galdámez2Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, MexicoInstituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, MexicoInstituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, MexicoThe thermal conductivity of soils is a fundamental parameter for the design of ground-source heat pump systems (GSHPs) and energy geostructures. This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of the physical, mineralogical, and thermal characteristics of typical coastal soils from Tabasco, Mexico. Twenty-five soil samples from four different strata were studied using the thermal needle probe method, X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and standard geotechnical soil classification tests. The results showed a significant correlation between the dry density and porosity with the thermal conductivity of the studied samples, which ranged between 1.17 and 2.32 W m<sup>−1</sup> K<sup>−1</sup>. The performed statistical analyses indicated that coarse-grained soils had larger thermal conductivities and higher variability than fine-grained soils. Additionally, the performance of six models to estimate the thermal conductivity of soils was validated against the experimental data. All models provided accurate estimations for fine-grained soils, but only the effective medium theory (EMT) showed an adequate fit for coarse-grained soils. The results represent one of the first datasets for the thermal properties of Mexican soils. They will contribute to the implementation of GSHPs and energy geostructures in the country and locations with similar subsoil conditions, especially where time and resources are not available for their experimental determination.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/17/5479thermal conductivityheat transfersoil characterizationground-source heat pumpsenergy geostructures |
| spellingShingle | Norma Patricia López-Acosta Alan Igor Zaragoza-Cardiel David Francisco Barba-Galdámez Determination of Thermal Conductivity Properties of Coastal Soils for GSHPs and Energy Geostructure Applications in Mexico Energies thermal conductivity heat transfer soil characterization ground-source heat pumps energy geostructures |
| title | Determination of Thermal Conductivity Properties of Coastal Soils for GSHPs and Energy Geostructure Applications in Mexico |
| title_full | Determination of Thermal Conductivity Properties of Coastal Soils for GSHPs and Energy Geostructure Applications in Mexico |
| title_fullStr | Determination of Thermal Conductivity Properties of Coastal Soils for GSHPs and Energy Geostructure Applications in Mexico |
| title_full_unstemmed | Determination of Thermal Conductivity Properties of Coastal Soils for GSHPs and Energy Geostructure Applications in Mexico |
| title_short | Determination of Thermal Conductivity Properties of Coastal Soils for GSHPs and Energy Geostructure Applications in Mexico |
| title_sort | determination of thermal conductivity properties of coastal soils for gshps and energy geostructure applications in mexico |
| topic | thermal conductivity heat transfer soil characterization ground-source heat pumps energy geostructures |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/17/5479 |
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