Centrifuge modeling of one-dimensional subsurface contamination

• Published in: Journal of the American Water Resources Association 1998-12, Vol.34 (6), p.1415-1425
• Main Authors: Nakajima, H. (University of California, Davis, CA.), Hirooka, A, Takemura, J, Marino, M.A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: CARACTERISTICAS MORFOLOGICAS SUELO; centrifuge modeling; contaminant transport; CONTAMINANTES; CONTAMINANTS; EQUATIONS; EQUIPO; ground water hydrology; MATEMATICAS; MATERIEL; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; MATHEMATICS; MATHEMATIQUE; MODELE; MODELE MATHEMATIQUE; MODELOS; MODELOS MATEMATICOS; POLLUANT; POLLUTANTS; POLLUTION DU SOL; POLUCION DEL SUELO; SATURATED CONDITIONS; SATURATED SOILS; SIMULACION; SIMULATION; SOIL MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES; SOIL POLLUTION; subsurface contamination; SUBSURFACE LAYERS; TRAIT MORPHOLOGIQUE DU SOL; TRANSPORT PROCESSES; water quality
• ISSN: 1093-474X; 1752-1688
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.1998.tb05441.x

One-dimensional contaminant transport through a saturated soil is modeled using a 1.2-m radius geotechnical centrifuge. Small-scale physical modeling in the centrifuge is achieved in relatively short time, at stress distributions that are similar to those experienced in the prototype (actual site). A 0.05 mol/l of sodium chloride solution is used as a contaminant and conductivity cells measure the concentration of the contaminant throughout the porous medium. Scaling analysis for centrifuge modeling and 1-g modeling are briefly discussed and it is concluded that centrifuge modeling simulates the effect of molecular diffusion; however, scaling of the effect of mechanical dispersion may be violated in the centrifuge if the interstitial fluid velocity is high. Centrifuge test results show good agreement with the predicted relationship between the coefficient of hydrodynamic dispersion and the Peclet number using column tests. Centrifuge modeling can be used as a complement of numerical modeling although the effect of mechanical dispersion may be overestimated in the former