Reduction of Adherent Forces of Sedimentous Contaminants in Tunnel Drainage using Vibrations from Flexible and Transparent Organic Films

Abstract

Tunnel drainage systems require regular maintenance to reduce the amount of calcite deposits, which can eventually obstruct the effluent and cause deterioration to the pipe lining. Current maintenance methods have high energy consumption and often result in pipe damage due to pipe blockage or solidified contaminants. In this study, the effectiveness of vibrations from a film type transducer in improving the cleaning efficiency of tunnel drainage systems was investigated. Our findings suggest that the vibrations produced by the transducer affected the shear resistance of the adherent contaminants in the drainage pipe. By reducing the shear resistance of sedimentous contaminants, drainage pipe maintenance can become more energy efficient. This study aims to provide data for the implementation of field applications of piezoelectric transducers for drainage systems.