Analytical solutions for contaminant transport through a GMB/CCL composite liner system considering effective porosity and thermodiffusion

Abstract

This study presents analytical solutions for one-dimensional contaminant transport through a saturated double-layer composite liner system consisting of a geomembrane (GMB) and a compacted clay liner (CCL), considering the effects of CCL effective porosity, GMB defects, and thermodiffusion. The solutions provide temperature distribution at steady state and contaminant concentration distribution and total contaminant mass flux for transient-state condition. The heat transfer algorithm of the solutions accounts for advection, conduction, and thermal mechanical dispersion, while the solute transport algorithm of the solutions accounts for molecular diffusion, advection, mechanical dispersion, sorption, and thermodiffusion. The proposed solutions are validated against experimental data and verified against numerical solution. Using the proposed solutions, a series of parametric studies is conducted and the results indicate that neglecting the effect of thermodiffusion can underestimate the contaminant outflow rate at the bottom of the GMB/CCL liner by 6.9%∼130%. Depending on conditions, the effect of thermodiffusion on contaminant transport through the GMB/CCL liner decreases with increasing leachate head, increasing length of GMB wrinkle, and increasing number of GMB defects. CCL effective porosity also has a significant impact on contaminant transport through the GMB/CCL liner system, and neglecting this effect can substantially overestimate the contaminant outflow rate.