Electrical Leak Location Method for Geomembrane Liners

摘要

Geomembrane liners are sheets of polymeric materials used to prevent leakage of waste from and infiltration of rainwater into solid waste landfills and surface impoundments. The method described consists of voltage applied between the liner and the earth under the liner which produces a relatively uniform electrical potential distribution in the material of the liner. Leaks are located by mapping the anomaly in the potential distribution caused by current flowing through the leak. The report also describes a computer simulation model that predicts the effect of a wide range of parameters on the leak signature; testing on a double-lined model; and adaptation of the method to leakage location in cover systems. It also discusses other leakage detection methods including tracer gas injection and detection, ground-penetrating radar, and infrared imaging.