This paper considers the artificial freezing of an argillite-like clay layer containing a NaCl salt solution in its pore space. The experimental results of the thermophysical properties of the clay with various salinities and water content in soil samples are presented. We determine the parameters of the soil freezing characteristic curves, the dependences of the specific heat capacity, and thermal conductivity based on temperature and salinity. These parameters are used in the formulation of a simple thermodynamic model for the artificial freezing of a clay layer with a single freezing pipe. The model includes diffusive transfer of heat and salt concentration, as well as salt precipitation when the eutectic point is reached. The motivation for using the simplified model is to understand the general patterns of soil freezing when considering the effect of salinity, as well as to test the proposed numerical finite-difference algorithm for solving the problem of freezing a clay layer based on the method of equivalent heat capacities. Using the algorithm, we analyzed the regularities of the redistribution of dissolved and precipitated salt in frozen soil, and also evaluated the effect of diffusive salt transfer on the numerical solution.

This study focuses on the analysis of an approach to the simulation of the phase transition in porous media when hot steam is injected into the oil reservoir. The reservoir is assumed to consist of a porous medium with homogeneous thermal properties. Its porous space is filled with a three-phase mixture of steam, water, and oil. The problem is considered in a non-stationary and non-isothermal formulation. Each phase is considered to be incompressible, with constant thermal properties, except for the dynamic viscosity of oil, which depends on the temperature. The 1D mathematical model of filtration, taking into account the phase transition, consists of continuity, Darcy, and energy equations. Steam injection and oil production in the model are conducted via vertical or horizontal wells. In the case of horizontal wells, the influence of gravity is also taken into account. The Lee model is used to simulate the phase transition between steam and water. The convective terms in the balance equations are calculated without accounting for artificial diffusion. Spatial discretization of the 1D domain is carried out using the finite volume method, and time discretization is implemented using the inverse (implicit) Euler scheme. The proposed model is analyzed in terms of the accuracy of the phase transition simulation for various sets of independent phases and combinations of continuity equations. In addition, we study the sensitivity of the model to the selected independent phases, to the time step and spatial mesh parameters, and to the intensity of the phase transition. The obtained results allow us to formulate recommendations for simulations of the phase transition using the Lee model.