Model test and numerical simulation on the development of artificially freezing wall in sandy layers considering water seepage

Abstract

Abstract The influence of seepage on the development of the frozen wall must be considered when artificial ground freezing (AGF) is applied to the coarse-grained soil layers. In this paper, the influence of groundwater flow in a sandy layer on the temperature field during artificial freezing is studied. Model tests were carried out with different seepage velocity, and the temperature field changes of upstream and downstream as well as the development of the frozen wall were obtained. The experiment was numerically simulated using a finite element platform, COMSOL Multiphysics. The test showed that the frozen wall was symmetrical when there was no seepage, which was approximately elliptical. Under the seepage condition, the upstream and downstream frozen walls were asymmetrical, approximately heart-shaped. The asymmetry increased with the increase of seepage velocity and pipe spacing. When the seepage velocity increased, the closure time of frozen wall increased. The numerical simulation results and the experimental results were basically consistent. The asymmetry of the frozen wall under the seepage condition was quantitatively analyzed based on numerical simulations.