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Application of Light Reflection Visualization for Measuring Organic-Liquid Saturation for Two-Phase Systems in
Erica L DiFilippo1, Mark L Brusseau2
1Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona.
Environmental Engineering Science
|October 13, 2015
Summary
A novel light reflection visualization (LRV) imaging method accurately measures organic-liquid saturation in dynamic two-phase systems. This noninvasive technique shows strong correlations with known volumes, proving effective for environmental remediation and subsurface flow studies.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Geology
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Accurate in situ monitoring of organic liquid saturation is crucial for understanding subsurface contaminant transport and remediation.
- Traditional methods for measuring saturation can be invasive or lack the resolution needed for dynamic systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a light reflection visualization (LRV) imaging method for noninvasive, in situ measurement of organic-liquid saturation.
- To assess the performance of LRV under dynamic conditions and varying source-zone architectures.
Main Methods:
- Experiments were conducted using a two-dimensional flow cell with archetypal residual-and-pool architectures.
- LRV imaging was employed to measure organic-liquid volumes during injection and water flushing (dissolution phase).
- Measured volumes were compared against known volumes to determine the accuracy of the LRV method.
Main Results:
- A strong correlation was observed between LRV-measured and known organic-liquid volumes.
- LRV-measured volumes were generally slightly lower than known volumes.
- Higher errors were noted in systems with complex multi-zone configurations and multiphase flow conditions.
Conclusions:
- The light reflection visualization (LRV) method is an effective, noninvasive technique for determining organic-liquid distribution in two-phase systems.
- LRV requires minimal specialized equipment, making it a practical tool for various environmental and geological applications.
- The method's accuracy is influenced by system complexity, highlighting areas for future refinement.
