In this article, a numerical model for simulation of the heat and mass transfer
phenomena in unsaturated soil is presented. The system is provided to
evaluate its behavior as a thermal storage system. The model includes a
single pipe that is buried under unsaturated media which is connected to a
source with the constant heat rate of 20 W/m3 in sandy soils during a specific
time. All the numerical results show good agreement with previous results,
thus excellent correlation was achieved. Additionally, sensitivity analysis is
done to clear up the role of the thermal and isothermal properties respect to
volumetric water content and temperature and to assess the effects of
related parameters on heat transfer in the media. The results show that as
getting far away from the source, in addition to reduce the collected energy,
the intensity of increasing the temperature and decreasing the moisture
diminished will be more. Generally over time, the cumulative stored energy
for each point will tend to a constant quantity.
