Analysis of thermal efficiency of disinfection electrode heating of the soil

Disinfection treatment of greenhouse soil helps eliminate pathogenic microflora and volatile organic compounds, thereby improving the quality of plant products. However, electrode-based soil heating and the effectiveness of its various configurations have not yet been sufficiently investigated. The study aims to determine the thermal efficiency indicators of electrode-based disinfection heating of a soil layer. Using computational models in COMSOL Multiphysics, the authors simulated electrode heating of soil samples with moisture contents of 5% and 20%, raising the average temperature from 20.7°C to 87.1°C. Electrodes of various geometries were employed: cylindrical rod electrodes, flat plate electrodes, and disc electrodes. The electric potential applied to the electrodes was ±150 V, with a heating duration of 60 seconds. The computational domain measured 800 mm in length, 400 mm in width, and 300 mm in depth; the heated soil sample itself had dimensions of 200 × 200 × 60 mm. Electrodes were immersed to a depth of 100 mm. Computational modeling was also performed for heating a soil sample with plate electrodes under electrical insulation conditions, varying the number of electrodes (2, 3, 8, 14) and their mutual arrangement. The study established relationships between the required potential difference for heating and the soil properties, electrode geometry, and electrode placement within the treated layer. The results indicate that disc electrodes provide the best temperature field uniformity in the heated sample due to the cylindrical configuration of electric potential lines between the electrodes. Improving the efficiency of direct disinfection heating devices can be achieved by reducing the distance between electrodes, increasing their number, and employing electrically insulating materials. Uniform heating of the soil volume and a high energy efficiency of 96.32% are attained when both the electrodes and the soil sample surfaces are fully insulated. The developed computational models enable the design of energy-efficient units that ensure direct, uniform electrical heating of the treated soil layer.

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