An investigation of saturation-capillary pressure relations in two- and three-fluid systems for several NAPLS in different porous media
- ICF Kaiser, Rancho Cordova, CA (United States)
- Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
- Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)
Lack of constitutive data has impeded efforts to model the subsurface transport of organic-liquid contaminants. To help fill this need, functional relationships between fluid saturations and capillary pressures were obtained using a unique fluid-retention cell. The functional relationships between water saturations and NAPL-water capillary pressures, and between total-liquid saturations and air-NAPL capillary pressures in two- and three-fluid phase systems were measured directly during monotonic drainage of a fine quartz sand and a nonswelling loam soil. Additionally, measurements were made between water saturations and air-water capillary pressures for an air-water fluid system in both porous media. The NAPLs investigated were Soltrol 170{reg_sign}, toluene, and trichloroethylene (TCE). Following the measurements, the two- and three-fluid retention relations were compared to test the validity of extending two-phase saturation-pressure (S-P) relations to three-fluid systems. Good agreement was observed between the two- and three-fluid data for Soltrol 170{reg_sign}, toluene, and TCE in both porous media. An S-P scaling format for two- and three-phase systems was also evaluated. Results indicate that a single multiphase retention function is suitable for describing two- and three-phase S-P relations in similar porous media; however, it is unclear whether the scaling factors can be predicted a priori from ratios of interfacial tensions.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 94286
- Journal Information:
- Ground Water, Journal Name: Ground Water Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 33; ISSN GRWAAP; ISSN 0017-467X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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