Mathematical investigation of effective thermal conductivity in fractured porous media

Calculating the thermal conductivity of the porous material is a challenging task due to the heterogeneity of medium and presence of numerous adjustable parameters. Meanwhile, the prominent role of conductivity in heat transfer through porous media highlights the necessity of a better understanding of effective thermal conductivity. In this study, the unit cell model is used to predict the effective thermal conductivity of the saturated two-phase porous media. The calculated data were proved to be in agreement with those from well-known correlations. Finally, a unit cell model is further extended to study the heat transfer in fractured porous media and a correlation is developed to predict the effective thermal conductivity of the fractured media based on the size and orientation of the fractures.