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An analytical model for vapor‐phase volatile organic compound diffusion through landfill composite covers
Author(s) -
Xie Haijian,
Yan Huaxiang,
Thomas Hywel R.,
Feng Shijin,
Ran Qihua,
Chen Peixiong
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
international journal for numerical and analytical methods in geomechanics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.419
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1096-9853
pISSN - 0363-9061
DOI - 10.1002/nag.2514
Subject(s) - geomembrane , composite number , geosynthetic clay liner , saturation (graph theory) , flux (metallurgy) , diffusion , volatile organic compound , degree of saturation , materials science , steady state (chemistry) , composite material , chemistry , geotechnical engineering , thermodynamics , soil science , environmental science , geology , mathematics , organic chemistry , hydraulic conductivity , soil water , physics , combinatorics , metallurgy
Summary One‐dimensional mathematical models for vapor‐phase volatile organic compound (VOC) diffusion through composite cover barriers are presented. An analytical solution to the model was obtained by the method of separation of variables. The results obtained by the proposed solution agree well with those obtained by a numerical analysis. Based on the proposed analytical model, the VOC breakthrough curves of five different composite covers are compared. The effects of degree of saturation of geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) or compacted clay liner (CCL) on VOC migration in the composite covers are then presented. Results show that the composite cover barriers provide much better diffusion barriers for VOC than the single CCL. The top surface steady‐state flux for a composite barrier, consisting of a 1.5 mm geomembrane (GM) and a 20 cm CCL, can be 8.3 times lower than that for a 30 cm CCL. The surface steady‐state flux for the case with (1.5 mm GM + 6 mm GCL) was found to be 2.3 times lower than that for the case with (1.5 mm GM + 20 cm CCL). The degree of saturation S r of the CCL has a great influence on VOC migration in composite covers when S r is larger than 0.5. The steady‐state flux at the surface of GM for the case with S r = 0.7 can be 1.8 times lower than that for the case with S r = 0.2. The proposed analytical model is relatively simple and can be used for verification of complicated numerical models, analysis of experimental data and performance assessment of composite cover barriers. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.