The Numerical and Experimental Analysis of Heat Transport and Water Infiltration in a Granular Packed Bed Due to Supplied Hot Water

Abstract

The characteristics of heat transport and water infiltration in a granular packed bed due to supplied hot water are investigated experimentally and numerically. The distributions of water saturation and temperature are focused on one-dimensional models assuming the local thermal equilibrium between water and particles at any specific space in a vertical granular packed bed column. This study describes the dynamics of heat transport and water infiltration in various testing condition. The calculated water saturation, temperature distribution, and infiltration depth are compared with the experimental results. Experimentally and numerically, the influence of particle sizes and supplied water flux on heat transport during unsaturated flow are clarified in detail. The results showed that the granular packed bed with a larger particle size results in a faster infiltration rate and forms a wider infiltration depth. However, an extension of the heated layer is not as much as that of the infiltration layer because the temperature of water infiltration gradually drops due to upstream heat transport. It is found that a greater supplied water flux corresponds to a higher water saturation and temperature along a granular packed bed for each time increment. The numerical results closely match the experimental results.

Notes

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