Fluid flow mechanisms that govern air sparging effectiveness

Conference · · Ground Water; (United States)

OSTI ID:6065211

Ahlfeld, D P ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (United States). Dept. of Civil Engineering/Environmental Research Inst.

Air sparging is a remedial technique in which air is injected into the saturated zone to facilitate mass transfer between the gaseous phase and the aqueous, solid, and NAPL phases. This mass transfer usually includes volatilization of contaminants into the gaseous phase where they are then transported to the vadose zone. It has been suggested that the injected air can also be used to facilitate the migration of oxygen and other biotic nutrients from the gaseous to the aqueous phase. In either case, the success of air sparging depends on the ability of the air to contact the other phases and for mass transfer to occur throughout the porous media. The extent of interphase contact depends upon the distribution pattern that the air produces. The injection of air into an initially water-saturated porous media produces a complex fluid dynamics problem. This problem is governed in part by density and viscosity differences between air and water ad the capillary resistance produced by the surface tension at the air/water interface within the pores. Quantifying and predicting the effectiveness of air sparging depends on the ability to understand how these mechanisms affect air flow.

• OSTI ID: 6065211
• Report Number(s): CONF-9310166--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Ground Water; (United States) Journal Volume: 31:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540250* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-)
CLEANING
DECONTAMINATION
FLUID FLOW
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MASS TRANSFER
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
REMEDIAL ACTION
WATER