HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Alpert, J. E. Articles by DeWalle, D. R. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Alpert, J. E. Articles by DeWalle, D. R. Agricola Articles by Alpert, J. E. Articles by DeWalle, D. R.

Soil Temperatures and Heat Loss for a Hot Water Pipe Network Buried in Irrigated Soil¹

ABSTRACT

A 0.09-ha field prototype of a simultaneous waste heat and waste water disposal system was constructed and instrumented. Data are reported for soil, pipe, soil surface, and air temperatures; heat loss (0.068–0.117 cal cm^–2 min^–1); and soil thermal conductivity (3.61–5.63 mcal [cm sec°C] ^–1). The data are used to evaluate the heat flow theory which is currently being used to predict the land area required for waste heat disposal with a buried hot water pipe network. Predicted heat loss was consistently lower than experimental heat losses. The results of the experiment indicate that substantial improvements need be made in the existing theory to account for the transient heat flow and heat storage. Research is currently being conducted to develop better predictive models.

Key Words: waste heat • soil warming • waste water irrigation • thermal conductivity • Chagrin sandy loam

¹ Paper No. 4843 in the J. Ser. of the Pennsylvania Agric. Exp. Stn. Supported by NSF (RANN) Grant GI-35100 and Hatch Proj. 1874.

² Former Graduate Research Assistant in Soil Physics, now Environmental Scientist, Energy Resour. Co., Cambridge, Mass.; Former Graduate Research Assistant in Forest Resources, now Hydrol. Res. Lab., Nat. Weather Serv., NOAA, Silver Springs, Md.; Assistant Professor of Soil Physics; and Associate Professor of Forest Hydrology, respectively, The Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA 16802.

Received for publication May 7, 1976.