Flow of Air through Soils

Abstract

A PROPOSED METHOD FOR SOLUTION MINING OF LOW GRADE ORE WILL INVOLVE THE IN SITU AERATION OF LARGE VOLUMES OF HYDRAULICALLY DEPOSITED SILTY MATERIAL. A LABORATORY INVESTIGATION OF THE SETADY AND UNSTEADY FLOW OF AIR THROUGH SOIL SHOWED THAT FICK'S LAW GIVES AN ADEQUATE DESCRIPTION OF THE FLOW PROCESS AND, MOREOVER, HAS MATHEMATICAL ADVANTAGES OVER THE MORE COMMON D'ARCY'S LAW. THE PROCESS OF IN SITU AIR INJECTION WAS EXAMINED THEORETICALLY ON THE BASIS OF FICK'S LAW. EXPERIMENTAL DATA FROM FIELD TESTS WERE FOUND TO BE IN GOOD QUALITATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE PREDICTIONS OF THE THEORY. /AUTHOR/