Effect of different latent heat treatments on numerical analysis of ground freezing processes

Abstract

In artificial ground freezing methods, frozen soil is artificially created to ensure the strength and impermeability of the soil. It is crucial to predict the freezing process of soil by considering the latent heat release during the freezing process. In this study, a computational method for handling latent heat in the freezing processes of saturated ground is investigated by comparing analytical results. The finite element method with stabilization technique was used to formulate the heat conduction equation, and the latent heat was evaluated using the temperature recovery method, the Generalized Clausius-Clapeyron (GCC) equation, and the exponential function model. The results showed that while any of the latent heat treatment methods can be used to analyze the latent heat under conditions where freezing does not take a long time, the use of either the GCC or exponential function model methods is more reliable than the temperature recovery method under conditions where freezing takes a long time.