Title
Three-phase flow analysis of dense nonaqueous phase liquid infiltration in horizontally layered porous media
Author
Wipfler, E.L.
van Dijke, M.I.J.
van der Zee, S.E.A.T.M.
Publication year
2004
Abstract
We considered dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) infiltration into a water-unsaturated porous medium that consists of two horizontal layers, of which the top layer has a lower intrinsic permeability than the bottom layer. DNAPL is the intermediate-wetting fluid with respect to the wetting water and the nonwetting air. The layer interface forms a barrier to DNAPL flow, which causes the DNAPL to spread out horizontally just above the interface. An analytical approximation has been developed to estimate the DNAPL pressure and saturation and the horizontal extension of the DNAPL above the layer interface at steady state for low water saturations. The analytical approximation shows that the DNAPL infiltration is determined by five dimensionless numbers: the heterogeneity factor γ, the capillary pressure parameter λ, the gravity number Ng, the ratio of the capillary and gravity numbers Nc/Ng, and the critical DNAPL pressure Poc. Its predictions were compared with the results of a numerical three-phase flow simulator for a number of parameter combinations. For most of these combinations the analytical approximation predicts the DNAPL pressure and saturation profiles at the interface adequately. Using the analytical approximation, we carried out a sensitivity study with respect to the maximum horizontal extension of the plume. The extension of the plumes appears to be highly sensitive to variation of the dimensionless numbers Poc, λ and γ.
Subject
Heterogeneous porous media
Three-phase flow
Unsaturated zone
Porous materials
Saturation (materials composition)
Simulators
Thermal plumes
Dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) infiltration
Layer interface
Nonwetting air
Flow of fluids
infiltration
non-aqueous phase liquid
porous medium
three-phase flow
unsaturated flow
infiltration
nonaqueous phase liquid
porous medium
three phase flow
unsaturated flow
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:532d3b65-9b3e-468b-a8c6-cb8c16a19b39
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1029/2003wr002948
TNO identifier
238033
ISSN
0043-1397
Source
Water Resources Research, 40 (10)
Document type
article