STUDIO SPERIMENTALE DELL’EROSIONE EOLICA DEI MATERIALI GRANULARI DEPOSITATI ALL’APERTO ATTRAVERSO SPERIMENTAZIONI IN GALLERIA DEL VENTO

Optimizing the production of critical raw materials (CRMs) requires managing extraction phases in line with rigorous industrial and environmental standards. Significant amounts of CRMs are released into the air from both industrial sites and tailing basins due to wind erosion, leading to environmental risks and economic losses. Estimating the amount of material lost during the production phases is useful for evaluating the possibility of implementing suitable mitigation procedures. Determining the quantity of material emitted due to wind erosion is complex and subject to uncertainties. For investigating the dependency of the emissions on the parameters that govern the phenomenon, an Environmental Wind Tunnel (EWT) has been designed and built at the University of Cagliari. The EWT enables the replication of precise wind velocity profiles that form over exposed surfaces, facilitating the experimental investigation of the erosion phenomenon. The article describes the project and realization of the EWT as well as the results obtained at the present state.