The Influence of Water Flow on Ground Freezing

Considering heat transfer processes in soils can be important to many engineering problems. In northern climates where there is permanently or seasonally frozen ground, the presence of engineering projects can have both positive and negative impacts. Potential damage to permafrost can be a serious problem, but it can sometimes be reversed or prevented using heat pipe (thermosyphon) technology. A schematic representation of a thermosyphon is illustrated on the right. In other situations, ground may need to be artificially frozen in order to ensure the success of the engineering project. Artificial ground freezing can be induced by using refrigeration equipment to circulate cold brine through pipes to freeze barrier walls around proposed mine shafts, subway tunnels or building foundation excavations.
Cold air Radiator surface area removes heat

Liquid

Vapour

Heat flow

The photograph shown highlights a series of ground freezing pipes filled with brine that were installed around the perimeter of an underground ore body. Freezing the perimeter was necessary in order to control high water pressures that would have hampered conventional mining techniques. In any ground freezing scenario, the presence of flowing water can significantly delay or even prevent the development of ice due to heat addition by the moving water. While the TEMP/W finite element model has been an industry standard for ground thermal analysis for many years, it has only recently been coupled with the SEEP/W model so that the heat flow that occurs with moving water can be appropriately considered. To illustrate the importance that moving water has on heat flow, consider the following hypothetical example which is shown in plan view. The figure on the left shows the temperature contours and heat flow vectors between two adjacent freeze pipes. The location of the phase change temperature isotherm (i.e., freeze-thaw line) is indicated by the blue contour line. The figure on the right shows the corresponding water flow vectors as the water passes through the increasingly narrow unfrozen gap between the two pipes. Note that as the water moves through the smaller cross-sectional area it has to increase in velocity. If the velocity increases too much,

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it is possible the freezing regions will not join together and successful closure of the freeze wall will not be possible.
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10
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We know that the flowing water adds thermal energy to the freezing system and this additional thermal energy must be removed by the heat pipes before the ground can freeze between the pipes. The main questions therefore are: How much of a delay to freezing is caused by the flowing water, and: Is the water flowing at a rate that might prevent freezing from occurring at all? The graph below compares the computed water velocity rates at the midpoint between the two freeze pipes for three different hydraulic conductivity values and an assumed fixed hydraulic gradient across the site. The graph shows that for all three cases, the water velocity increases between the two freeze pipes as the gap closes due to freezing. The ultimate closure time occurs when the curves show a sharp drop in velocity, which makes sense because this is the point when water flow between the pipes is effectively shut down.
Closure Point Darcian Velocity
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Case 1 Case 2

25.00

Case 3

Darcian Velocity (m/day)

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10.00

5.00

0.00 0 50 100 150 200 250

Time (days)

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For Case 1 and Case 2, closure is achieved at about 80 and 115 days respectively. The main point to note from the graph is that for Case 3, which has a higher in-situ water flow rate due to a large hydraulic conductivity, the water velocity between the pipes increases continually until it reaches a maximum value and then it remains essentially constant. It is at this point that the heat that has been added by the moving water is in equilibrium with the heat being extracted by the freeze pipes and additional closure of the freeze wall can not occur.

As a final illustration of the importance of moving water in ground freezing, consider the actual situation depicted below. This image shows a partial plan view of brine freezing pipes installed in a circular pattern to create a frozen wall prior to mine shaft excavation. In this case, an unexpected source of water was able to flow in a high permeability section of soil and through the freeze wall, thereby delaying completion of the frozen barrier.

By using the advanced thermal and seepage coupling within GeoStudio 2004, it is now possible to better understand the complex relationships that exist between water and heat flow in soil and rock. For more information, contact Greg Newman, P.Eng. by e-mail at gregn@geo-slope.com.

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