Normalized Thermal Conductivity Model for Three Japanese Soils

Abstract

A new relation, a non-dimensional thermal conductivity versus the degree of soil saturation with water, was developed for three Japanese soils of diverse textures: Toyoura sand, Red Yellow, and Ando. Estimated thermal conductivities follow closely the experimental data with a root mean square error of up to 0.1 W·m^-1 K^-1. The use of series/parallel model for predicting thermal conductivity at dryness and full saturation extends the application of the normalized thermal conductivity model to soils of different compactions. The developed model may also be applicable to soils having similar genesis and resembling texture characteristics to the soils under investigation.