Laboratory-scale experiments and numerical modeling of cosolvent flushing of multi-component NAPLs in saturated porous media

This study examines the mechanistic processes governing multiphase flow of a water-cosolvent-NAPL system in saturated porous media. Laboratory batch and column flushing experiments were conducted to determine the equilibrium properties of pure NAPL and synthetically prepared NAPL mixtures as well as NAPL recovery mechanisms for different water-ethanol contents. The effect of contact time was investigated by considering different steady and intermittent flow velocities. A modified version of multiphase flow simulator (UTCHEM) was used to compare the multiphase model simulations with the column experiment results. The effect of employing different grid geometries (1D, 2D, 3D), heterogeneity and different initial NAPL saturation configurations was also examined in the model. It is shown that the change in velocity affects the mass transfer rate between phases as well as the ultimate NAPL recovery percentage. The experiments with low flow rate flushing of pure NAPL and the 3D UTCHEM simulations gave similar effluent concentrations and NAPL cumulative recoveries. Model simulations over-estimated NAPL recovery for high specific discharges and rate-limited mass transfer, suggesting a constant mass transfer coefficient for the entire flushing experiment may not be valid. When multi-component NAPLs are present, the dissolution rate of individual organic compounds (namely, toluene and benzene) into the ethanol-water flushing solution is found not to correlate with their equilibrium solubility values. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.