Misure sperimentali delle proprietà termiche ed analisi numerica dei processi di trasporto di calore nei materiali litici

Understanding heat transport mechanism in lithic materials is very significant for geothermal applications; nevertheless we still can’t fully comprehend this process. This thesis attempts to investigate the factors that affect heat conduction at micro and mesoscale. This study has been taken experimentally and using numerical modelling. This study is based on direct measurements of physical and thermal properties of 47 lithic and crystalline samples. Results show that samples’ thermal parameters depend on their values of density and porosity. Achievements have been validated by a bibliographic research. Values published by more than thirty authors have been used to create a helpful database for future studies. Numerical modelling allowed understanding heat conduction process at microscopic scale. The models that have been created simulate heat conduction in a trachyte thin section. Physical and thermal parameters measured experimentally have been assigned to mineral phases. This allowed us to recognize the phases that mostly affects heat conduction, to understand their relevance and to evaluate the possibility to use a numerical modelling software to study heat transport at the microscale and its convergence with experimental measurements. It could be study in deep by creating models of other lithologies.