1. Research Center of Coastal and Urban Geotechnical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China;
2. Engineering Research Center of Urban Underground Development of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310058, China;
3. Ningbo Institute of Technology, Zhejiang University, Ningbo 315100, China
Abstract：Potential gradient and electrode spacing are common control factors in electro-osmosis treatment. To investigate the impacts of the potential gradient and electrode spacing on the electro-osmosis efficiency of marine soft clay, electroosmotic model tests were conducted under two operating conditions, which included equal electrode spacing with varying potential gradient and equal potential gradient with varying electrode spacing. The test results of drainage volume, electric current and energy consumption coefficient were achieved in the electroosmotic process. Furthermore, the relationships between potential gradient, electrode spacing and energy consumption coefficient were studied. On the basis of the Helmholtz-Smoluchowski (H-S) electroosmotic flow equation, concepts of interface resistance and initial potential gradient were introduced to analyze the energy consumption of electro-osmosis. The results show that the electroosmotic flow equation can practically reflect the variation of electroosmotic energy consumption coefficient with the potential gradient in nonlinear tendency when initial potential gradient is considered, under equal electrode spacing operating condition. There are initial potential gradient and corresponding economical potential gradient in Ninghai mudflat sludge. Under the equal potential gradient operating condition, interface resistance and initial potential gradient have no effect on the linear variation law of energy consumption coefficient.
