A new method for laboratory estimation of the transverse dispersion coefficient

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Soil Science
• Hydrogeology

Background:

• Accurate measurement of solute transport in porous media is crucial for environmental modeling.
• Transverse dispersion is a key parameter influencing contaminant plume spreading in soils.
• Existing methods for determining dispersion coefficients can be complex or require specific assumptions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for identifying the transverse dispersion coefficient.
• To utilize an analytical solution for pulse injection in a soil column.
• To account for boundary conditions and avoid prior knowledge of longitudinal dispersion.

Main Methods:

• Analytical solution of a pulse injection experiment.
• Application to a nonreactive solute in a homogeneous porous medium (soil column).
• Consideration of no-flux boundary conditions on the column perimeter.

Main Results:

• The proposed method is stable and robust in numerical applications.
• Results obtained are in reasonable agreement with the classical maximum likelihood method.
• The method successfully identifies the transverse dispersion coefficient without needing the longitudinal coefficient.

Conclusions:

• The new method offers a reliable approach for quantifying transverse dispersion in laboratory settings.
• This technique simplifies the determination of a critical parameter in soil and groundwater studies.
• The findings contribute to improved modeling of solute transport in porous media.