Analytical simulation of two dimensional advection dispersion equation of contaminant transport

Abstract

The study was designed to investigate the analytical simulation of two dimensional advection dispersion equation of contaminant transport. The steady state flow condition of the contaminant transport where inorganic contaminants in aqueous waste solutions are disposed of at the land surface where it would migrate through the verdoze zone to underground water is considered. We solved the two dimensional advection dispersion equation analytically which is solute transport model without sorption or degradation using change of variable method. We critically reviewed two dimensional equations depicting the transport of contaminant in groundwater and investigate with the help of graphical representation the effect of Peclet number on the concentration of contaminant and established real life interpretation of contaminant transport. Two cases were considered, when Peclet number is less than one and when Peclet number is greater than one. The result obtained revealed that the contaminant concentration increases along x direction and decreases along y direction for both values of peclet number greater than one and less than one. The study has contributed to knowledge through the method utilized to achieve the model analytical solution and the Physical interpretation of Peclet number. From the analysis, we recommend for further studies on the contaminant transport which also depends on the available data, that the extension of advection –dispersion model to three dimensions and comparison of travel time of contaminant transport solution to Kinetic or multi-component mode.

Keywords: Contaminant, Seepage Velocity, Aquifer, Advection-dispersion Equation, change of variable methods