The effect of constant anisotrophy on capillary barrier performance
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Ross` solution for the divergence capacity of a capillary barrier is modified to incorporate constant hydraulic conductivity anisotropy of the fine layer. The analysis assumes steady infiltration and that the principal directions of the hydraulic conductivity tensor are parallel and normal to the fine-coarse contact. The solutions for divergence capacity and length have two terms. The first term, similar to the solution of Ross, represents the diversion due to the presence of the capillary barrier and is proportional to the hydraulic conductivity parallel to the contact. The second term, which arises from infiltration into an anisotropic medium independent of the capillary barrier, is a function of the fine layer thickness and will be small for engineered barriers. Thus an anisotropic fine layer with a greater hydraulic conductivity in the direction parallel to the fine-coarse contact will extend the performance of a capillary barrier as measured by its divergence capacity and length. 6 refs., 2 figs.
- OSTI ID:
- 81167
- Journal Information:
- Water Environment Research, Journal Name: Water Environment Research Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 31; ISSN 1061-4303; ISSN WAERED
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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