The Migration and Entrapment of DNAPLs in Physically and Chemically Heterogeneous Porous Media - Final Report - 09/15/1996 - 09/15/2000
Hazardous dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs), such as chlorinated solvents, are slightly water soluble and pose a serious threat to soil and groundwater supplies in many portions of the United States. The migration and entrapment of DNAPLs in the subsurface environment is typically believed to be controlled by physical heterogeneities; i.e, layers and lenses of contrasting soil texture. The rationale for this assumption is that capillarity, as determined by the soil texture, is the dominant transport mechanism. Capillarity also depends on interfacial tension and medium wettability. Interfacial tension and medium wettability may be spatially and temporally dependent due to variations in aqueous phase chemistry, contaminant aging, and/or variations in mineralogy and organic matter distributions. Such chemical heterogeneities have largely been ignored to date, even though they are known to have dramatic effects on the hydraulic property relations. Numerical multiphase flow and transport models typically assume that solids are water-wet and that interfacial tension is constant. The primary objective of this research is to investigate the influence of coupled physical and chemical heterogeneities on the migration and entrapment of DNAPLs. This objective will be accomplished through a combination of laboratory and numerical experiments. Laboratory experiments will be conducted to examine: (i) aqueous phase chemistry effects on medium wettability and interfacial tension; and (ii) relative permeability-saturation-capillary pressure relations for chemically heterogeneous systems. An important objective of this research is to modify a two-dimensional multiphase flow and transport model to account for chemically and physically heterogeneous systems. This numerical simulator will be used in conjunction with independently measured parameters to simulate two-dimensional DNAPL infiltration experiments. Comparisons of simulated and laboratory data will provide a means to experimentally validate this model. The validated numerical simulator will subsequently be employed to investigate various innovative remediation schemes such as the use of surfactants and in situ wettability alteration. The accomplishment of the research herein will: (i) lead to a better understanding of the way aqueous phase chemistry changes medium wettability; (ii) validate and/or lead to the development of methods to predict and model wettability on hydraulic property relations; (iii) lead to the development of a multiphase flow simulator that accounts for fractional wettability and concentration dependent interfacial properties; (iv) lead to an improved knowledge of the effects of pore-scale variability on scale-up issues in multiphase systems; (v) provide an understanding of the interaction of chemical and physical heterogeneity on DNAPL flow and entrapment; (vi) provide two-dimensional laboratory data sets to validate multiphase flow models for physically and chemically heterogeneous systems; and (vii) facilitate the development and implementation of innovative remediation strategies.
- Research Organization:
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG07-96ER14702
- OSTI ID:
- 787975
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/14702; Project Number 54680; TRN: AH200135%%157
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 15 Sep 2000
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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