Numerical simulations were performed using COMSOL Multiphysics to analyze the temperature rise in soil during the course of thermal conduction heating (TCH) remediation based on a coupled water-vapor-heat transport model in order to analyze the underground temporal and spatial temperature distributions during in-situ TCH remediation of organic compound-contaminated soil. The transient variations of the distributions of temperature, and water and vapor concentrations were predicted. The numerical results were validated by comparing with the existing experimental data obtained with a single TCH tube from field tests. Then the effects of soil porosity, water saturation, and capillarity on the temporal and spatial temperature distributions were analyzed by parametric analysis. Results show that the temperature rise rate becomes slower with higher porosity and water saturation, because more heat is used for the evaporation of water. Capillary force contributes to water migration. Then the evaporation rate is increased.
