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Mathematical Modeling of Differentiation Processes in Porous Media During Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE) Remediation of Contaminated Soil/Water

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Abstract

Soil vapor extraction (SVE) is one of the most effective remediation technologies for soil and groundwater contamination. Soil particles can be mobilized by air perturbation during SVE, resulting in the differentiation of porous media, which has not been well addressed. This paper developed a numerical method to study the flow pattern and quantify the change of porous media for the first time. Based on the mass equilibrium and Darcy’s law, a two-phase water–air flow model was constructed with integration of saturation, relative permeability, and capillary pressure during SVE. Relationship between porosity and saturation was deduced and coupled with the two-phase flow model for quantifying change of porous media in real time. Results reveal that both porosity and permeability increase sharply in the early stage of SVE then gradually to a quasi-steady state. These increases in vadose zone tapered off with distance from the SVE screen and the steady period occurred later as well. The influence radius of a single SVE well and the change degree in porosity and permeability of media were proportional to the extraction vacuum and the driving coefficient C, which is more sensitive than extraction vacuum according to the simulation results. Knowledge from this modeling exercise provides a useful tool to estimate the change of remediated zone and assess the environmental risk of remedial activities at real-world contamination sites.

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Abbreviations

0, t :

Subscript denoting initial and a certain time point.

a:

Subscript denoting air.

C :

The ratio of the cumulative volume of mobile particles to that of air flow

E :

The ratio of the cumulative mass of mobile particles to the cumulative volume of air flow [kilogram per cubic meter]

g :

Gravity [meter per square second].

k :

Intrinsic permeability of porous media [square meter]

k ra,iw :

Relative permeability of air or water

M p :

Mass of mobile particles [kilogram]

m :

van Genuchten parameter

p:

Subscript denoting particles

P :

Pressure [pascal]

P atm :

Atmospheric pressure [pascal]

P c :

Capillary pressure [pascal]

P E :

Extraction pressure [pascal]

P v :

Vacuum pressure [pascal]

S a,w :

Saturation of air or water in pores

v :

Flow velocity vector of water (w)/air (a) [meter per second]

V :

Volume of water/air [cubic meter]

w:

Subscript denoting water

z :

Vertical coordinate [meter]

α :

van Genuchten parameter [per meter]

μ :

Fluid viscosity [pascal second]

ρ :

Density of water (w)/air (a) [kilogram per cubic meter]

φ :

Porosity of porous media

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program, grant no. 2007AA06Z343) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos. 40902068, 41272255). The author also acknowledges the support of K.C. Wong Education Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, People’s Republic of China

    Ying Lu, Y. S. Yang & X. Q. Du

  2. Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130012, China

    Wei Fan & G. X. Zhang

  3. School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3YE, UK

    Y. S. Yang

Authors
  1. Ying Lu
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  2. Wei Fan
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  3. Y. S. Yang
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  4. X. Q. Du
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  5. G. X. Zhang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to X. Q. Du.

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Ying Lu and Wei Fan contributed equally to this work.

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Lu, Y., Fan, W., Yang, Y.S. et al. Mathematical Modeling of Differentiation Processes in Porous Media During Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE) Remediation of Contaminated Soil/Water. Water Air Soil Pollut 224, 1491 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-013-1491-7

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