THERMAL-CONVECTION AND SURFACE TEMPERATURES IN POROUS-MEDIA

Experimental steady-state temperature measurements in a porous medium containing a buried heater are fitted to a conventional thermal convection model. A constant heat transfer coefficient at the free surface is shown to adequately describe the boundary condition. A simple one-dimensional model uniquely relating power input to surface temperature irrespective of permeability, source size and depth is derived. This is shown, to the degree required to monitor self-heating in stockpiles, to be consistent with the experiments and the general model. © 1990.