HR: 1340h
AN: H53F-1498    [Abstracts]
TI: Development of a Long-Column Method to Test Constitutive Relations for LNAPL Movement in Two-Phase Systems
AU: * Oostrom, M
EM: mart.oostrom@pnl.gov
AF: Energy and Environmental Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, P.O. Box 999, Richland, WA 99352, United States
AU: Zhong, L
AF: Energy and Environmental Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, P.O. Box 999, Richland, WA 99352, United States
AU: Wietsma, T
AF: Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, P.O. Box 999, Richland, WA 99352, United States
AU: Covert, M
AF: Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, P.O. Box 999, Richland, WA 99352, United States
AB: Multifluid relative permeability – saturation - capillary pressure (k-S-P) empirical constitutive models are components of numerical simulators that are used to predict fluid distributions following a nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) contamination event or during remediation. The S-P parameter values for these empirical models are either obtained from the literature or determined experimentally by fitting the models to measured data. Most of the experimental emphasis so far has been on testing the S-P component of the k-S-P constitutive relations. Due to the difficulties in obtaining quality relative permeability laboratory data for multiphase systems, testing of the k-S models that are used in multifluid flow simulators has been virtually non-existent. A new tool, the Multiple Location Saturation Pressure Apparatus (MLSPA), located in PNNL's EMSL Subsurface Flow and Transport Laboratory, has been developed to obtain data sets that can be used to test both S-P and k-S relationships for two-phase NAPL-water systems. The MLSPA is a long column (~1 m) equipped with several hydrophilic and hydrophobic pressure transducers. Fluid saturations are determined along the length of a column using a dual-energy gamma radiation system. Although the MLSPA is limited to porous media with a relatively small entry pressure and fairly homogeneous pore-size distributions, it offers the distinct advantage of obtaining S-P data at multiple locations. Besides for static determinations of S-P relations, the MLSPA offers the benefit that it can be used for more dynamic experiments where fluid pressures are changed more rapidly. The data sets produced by the dynamic experiments can be used in relative permeability models. Results of several experiments with crude-oil brine systems will be presented.
DE: 1831 Groundwater quality
DE: 1832 Groundwater transport
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting