Prediction of effective thermal conductivity of porous consolidated media as a function of temperature: a test example of limestones

Abstract

The thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and heat capacity per unit volume of sedimentary rocks (limestones) taken from Nammal Gorge sections, Western Salt Range, Pakistan, have been measured simultaneously using the transient plane source technique. The temperature dependence of thermal transport properties was studied in the temperature range 293 to 443 K. Different relations for the estimation of thermal conductivity are applied. A proposal for the prediction of thermal conductivity as a function of temperature is also given. It is observed that the values of effective thermal conductivity predicted by the proposed model are in agreement with the experimental thermal conductivity data within 8%. Furthermore, the errors in experimental calculations of thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and volumetric heat capacity are around 5%, 7% and 10%, respectively.