STAND-ALONE SOLAR POWERED ELECTROKINETIC FENCEFOR PREVENTING HEAVY METAL POLLUTION OF GROUNDWATER

摘要

A solar power system, including panels and a buck or a boost charge controller, was built and optimised for a specific application: the prevention of groundwater contamination. Electrolysis in soil may be used as a barrier to pollutants transported by the groundwater. Such a barrier is a new area of research, just as is powering the electrodes with solar energy. A lab experiment was implemented with a tank filled with silt. Copper-contaminated water was applied on the up-gradient side of the tank, while a stand-alone PV system powered an electric field to oppose the transport of the copper ions. The boost converter was chosen for the final experiment. The electric field was seen to significantly retard the progress of the copper contaminant, although further work is needed both on the geotechnical and the photovoltaic fronts to define more conclusively the best power management strategy.