Understanding the variation of thermal conductivity of sands with bio-cementation and desaturation
Understanding the variation of thermal conductivity of sands with bio-cementation and desaturation
Shallow borehole thermal energy storage systems provide a reliable energy source that has been anticipated to supplement the energy grid in times of energy crisis and supply power to residences and commercial entities independently. However, the efficiency of such systems is reduced with desaturation, and the construction of deeper geothermal boreholes is often quite expensive in arid and semi-arid regions with deeper groundwater tables. This paper investigates the effect of biocementation on the thermal conductivity of fine sand for different saturation levels that can increase the efficiency of the system. The variation of thermal conductivity of soils was studied before and after treatment with dental biofilm that consists of Streptococcus mutans, sp. with suction varied from saturated state to nearly dry state. It was observed that biocementation enhanced the thermal conductivity of soils for all saturation levels, with the most prominent increase being near the optimum moisture content of the fine sand. This can potentially be utilized in shallow borehole thermal energy storage systems to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
A. Ghosh; Aritra Banerjee; Volker Brozel; Emmanuel Salifu; Jasaswee Das
2025 International Conference on Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics (ICBBG2025)
Special symposium: MICP for sustainable geoenergy applications
https://doi.org/10.53243/ICBBG2025-180
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