[Models for quantification of fluid saturation in two-phase flow system by light transmission method and its...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Geology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Quantifying liquid saturation in porous media is crucial for understanding multiphase flow.
• Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids (DNAPLs) pose significant environmental contamination risks.
• Previous models for water/gas systems needed adaptation for NAPL/water dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the migration patterns of gas and DNAPLs in water-saturated porous media.
• To develop and validate new Light Intensity-Saturation (LIS) models for NAPL/water systems.
• To assess the applicability of existing LIS models for water/gas systems.

Main Methods:

• Conducted sandbox experiments to simulate gas and DNAPL migration.
• Employed a light transmission method for monitoring liquid saturation.
• Applied and developed modified Light Intensity-Saturation (LIS) models for two-phase flow analysis.

Main Results:

• Gas migrated upwards in a 'fingering' pattern, forming a continuous distribution.
• DNAPL (TCE) infiltrated downwards due to gravity, forming irregular plumes and accumulating at the bottom.
• Validated water/gas LIS models (WG-A, WG-B) showed consistency with experimental data.
• Developed NAPL/water LIS models (NW-A, NW-B) accurately simulated DNAPL infiltration, with NW-A performing better.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully quantified liquid saturation during gas and DNAPL migration in porous media.
• Developed LIS models provide a reliable method for assessing NAPL/water saturation.
• Findings offer valuable insights for environmental remediation and contaminant transport modeling.