Pollutant transport studies using the Geotechnical Centrifuge
Jointly with Professor Malcolm Bolton and Amanda Treadaway, PhD. This work was part of a completed European Community program - NECER (Network of European Centrifuges for Environmental Research).
The centrifuge was used to model the passage of model pollutant through the clay layer (black line on the left). Real time fibre optic sensors in sand above (1 and 2) and below the layer (3 and 4) indicate the passage of the pollutant, while the centrifuge was in flight.
Left: Solar-powered electrokinectic barrier for pollution containment, e.g. mine taileings
Principle: Electromigration and electro-osmosis prevents advection and dispersion.
Copper-contaminated water flow --> No barrier / EK barrier
The unprotected grass on the left is dying due to copper contamination, whereas the healthy grass on the right is protected by an electric field, preventing ingress of the copper solution (Roberto Lo Mastro, 2009).
References:
R Lo Mastro, A solar-powered electrokinetic fence for keeping out heavy metal pollution, Master's Thesis, Universita degli studi di Cagliari 2009.
MEng dissertations on ElectrokineticFence by Charlotte Ledden, Jo Reeve, Emmanuela Contini.
M.A. Nowicki, R.J. Lynch and G. Amaratunga, Stand-alone solar powered electrokinetic fence for preventing heavy metal pollution of groundwater, Proceedings of the 20th EU Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, Barcelona, Spain, June 2005.
The fifth trace shows the concentration plot from the outflow of the tank.
