Numerical analysis of heat transfer performance of in situ thermal remediation of large polluted soil areas

In recent years soil contamination has become a global problem because of industrial development. In situ thermal remediation has been proposed recently to not only lower costs, but also reduce the environmental impact compared to other soil remediation technologies such as chemical remediation. During the soil thermal remediation process, factors such as soil type and water content affecting the heat transfer pose challenges. In this study, a simple mathematical model is presented and the heat transfer performance during the soil heating process is researched via COMSOL Multiphysics 5.3 software (COMSOL Inc., Stockholm, Sweden). The temperature distribution and heating period under different operating conditions are evaluated. The simulation results show that the average soil temperature exhibits three stages during the heating process. First, soil is heated from the ambient temperature to the water boiling temperature (100 °C). Then, the soil stays at the water boiling temperature for a while before reaching the target temperature. Simultaneously, the effects of initial water content and groundwater flow on heat transfer are also studied. In addition, the results of a simulation can provide a reference for in situ heating remediation technology.