Source Example 2: Barrier Failure and Solubility-Controlled Release

The Source element provides the capability to model a contaminant source such that the effect of the barriers (such as drums or boxes) and/or a waste matrix (e.g., cement) in which the contaminant species are contained can more accurately represented.

Source mass can be specified to be present in discrete packages (e.g., 100 separate drums). For each individual package, two layers of containment (barriers) can be explicitly considered to exist (e.g., a drum and a liner within the drum).

Mass is not released from the Source until the barriers have failed. Barrier failure rates are described in terms of density functions of failure frequency (e.g., the rate of drum failure). In this case a uniform distribution is used for failure frequency. After failure, solubility constraints also affect the movement of the species from the drums to the aquifer. In this model, 1 g of nitrate and lead are initially present in each of 100 buried drums.

To Open the Model File:

1. Start GoldSim
2. Click on the File and select Open Example...
3. Browse to General Examples --> Contaminant Transport Examples
4. Select the file called Source1_Barriers.gsm