Influence of anisotropy on thermal management in an unconsolidated porous cavity
Abstract
Heat transfer in porous media is a core technical component for thermal management in underground energy storage systems. In this study, the anisotropy effect of unconsolidated porous media on thermal management within a cavity is numerically investigated. The research considers gradient porosity (ranging from 0.05 to 0.95) in different directions, under both pure conduction and natural convection conditions. The velocity and temperature distributions throughout the entire cavity are analyzed for various anisotropy gradients in different directions, with special attention paid to the temperature variation on the hot surface subjected to a constant heat flux. To characterize the temperature variation on the hot surface, two dimensionless parameters are defined: the variance of dimensionless temperature and temperature intensity (Imax, Imin). The obtained results indicate that for two directional gradient porosity cases under natural convection, the largest difference ratio of variance is 40.9%, while the maximum difference ratios of Imax and Imin are 92.3% and 83.3%, respectively. For pure conduction cases, the largest difference ratios of variance, Imax, and Imin are 52.4%, 41.2%, and 75%, respectively. These results demonstrate that natural convection exerts a more significant influence on the heat transfer behavior. By arranging the anisotropy gradient in different directions, the temperature distribution on the hot surface can be adjusted as required. This finding is valuable for applications that demand a non-uniform temperature distribution.
Article type: Research article
Cited as:
Wang CY, Mobedi M, Yang X, et al. 2025. Influence of Anisotropy on Thermal Management in an Unconsolidated Porous Energy Storage Cavity. GeoStorage, 1(2), 158-170.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46690/gs.2025.02.05Keywords:
Underground energy storage, thermal management, gradient porosity, heat transfer, porous mediaReferences
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