Effects of slight variations in nutrient loadings on pore plugging in soil columns
- Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States)
- Battelle Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States); and others
The high nutrient concentrations that would exist near the nutrient injection well during the application of cometabolic in situ bioremediation may lead to the development of significant quantities of biomass at this point in the subsurface. This biomass can decrease the porosity of the soil to such an extent that nutrient injection is no longer possible. In this work, experiments were conducted using a porous media biofilm reactor, operated under constant substrate loading conditions, such that the pressure drop across the reactor was allowed to increase to maintain a constant volumetric flow rate through the reactor. Results suggest that biomass production, and hence biofilm thickness, near the injection feed port is highly sensitive to substrate loading. In addition, these variations in biofilm. thickness produce dramatic differences in the pressure drop that is attained across the reactor. Use of the Kozeny-Carman equation can be used to predict that once a critical depth has been exceeded, the pressure drop across the bed will increase exponentially within biofilm depth. This result means that pressure is not a reliable indicator of the onset of pore plugging.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 159559
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-940526-; TRN: 95:007973-0069
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 16. symposium on biotechnology for fuels and chemicals, Gatlinburg, TN (United States), 9-13 May 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Sixteenth symposium on biotechnology for fuels and chemicals; Davison, B.H. [ed.] [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)]; Wyman, C.E. [ed.] [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)]; PB: 823 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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