Moisture Removal from a Two-Layer Porous Media: A Conceptual Model and Experimental Results

Moisture removal from a two-layer porous media in which air is circulated through one layer and moisture is removed from the second has not been well studied due to the emphasis given to single-layer systems. This two-layer configuration is common in natural and engineered systems and can be used as a means to create a barrier to downward migrating fluids and to remove liquids and gases that may be present in the finer layer. However, there is little data on moisture removal from a two-layer porous media in which air is circulated through one layer parallel to the interface and moisture is removed from the finer second layer by evaporation. A conceptual model of the moisture removal from a two-layer porous media system was developed and compared to experimental moisture removal rates from laboratory scale dry barriers. The limited experimental data agrees well with the results predicted by the conceptual model, providing an initial validation.