Effects of Electroosmosis on Soil Temperature and Hydraulic Head. I: Field Observations
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Volume 128, Issue 7
Abstract
A field test to quantify the changes in soil temperature and the hydraulic head during electroosmosis was conducted. The anode was created by laying pieces of titanium mesh coated with mixed metal oxides on top of a 3 cm thick sand layer to a depth of 0.4 m. The cathode (2.5 m in radius) was a hydraulic fracture filled with granular graphite to a depth of 2.2 m. A constant voltage of 47 V was applied for 4 weeks, resulting a nearly constant current of 42 A between the electrodes. The electrical potentials and soil temperatures were monitored at 7.5 cm depth intervals at distances 0.6, 1.2, 2.1, and 3.0 m from the cathode well. Arrays of piezometers were installed at various depths and at radial distances from the cathode well to monitor the hydraulic head distribution. The initial soil temperature decreased by 2–3°C/m of depth with a minor radial gradient. After the power was turned on, the temperature of soil in the vicinity of the graphite increased significantly. The increased temperature propagated outward as a contour in the radial direction of the graphite well causing the vertical temperature gradient to disappear. The propagating speed of the temperature contours decreased with the energy input. In addition, the temperature contours close to the edges of both the mesh and the graphite electrodes increased and propagated outward vertically. In the regions where these three propagating fronts met, the soil temperature profiles were distorted and formed “S” shaped contours. The hydraulic head close to the anode decreased between 0 and 10 cm, whereas it increased between 2 and 6 cm close to the cathode. The results show that electroosmosis caused a hydraulic gradient that was opposite to the electroosmotic flow.
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 128 • Issue 7 • July 2002
Pages: 588 - 595
Copyright
Copyright © 2002 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 12, 2000
Accepted: Nov 6, 2001
Published online: Jun 14, 2002
Published in print: Jul 2002
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