On the transient non-Fickian dispersion theory

The Fickian dispersion equation is the basic relationship used to describe the nonconvective mass flux of a solute in a porous medium. This equation prescribes a linear relationship between the dispersive mass flux and the concentration gradient. An important characteristic of the Fickian relationship is that it is independent of the history of dispersion (e.g. the time rate of change of the dispersion flux). Also, the dispersivities are supposed to be medium constants and invariant with temporal and spatial scales of observation. It is believed that in general these restrictions do not hold. A number of authors have proposed various alternative relationships. For example, differential equations have been employed that prescribe a relationship between the dispersion flux and its time and space derivatives. Also, stochastic theories result in integro-differential equations in which dispersion tensor grow asymptotically with time or distance. In this work, three different approaches, which lead to three different non-Fickian equations with a transient character, are discussed and their primary features and differences are highlighted. It is shown that an effective dispersion tensor defined in the framework of the transient non-Fickian theory, grows asymptotically with time and distance; a result which also follows from stochastic theories. Next, principles of continuum mechanics are employed to provide a solid theoretical basis for the non-Fickian transient dispersion theory. The equation of motion of a solute in a porous medium is used to provide a rigorous derivation of various dispersion relationships valid under different conditions. Under various simplifying assumptions, the generalized theory is found to agree with the conventional Fickian theory as well as several other non-Fickian relationships found in the literature. Moreover, it is shown that for nonconservative solutes, the traditional dispersion tensor is affected by the rate of mass exchange of the solute.Also with National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection (RIVM), PO Box 1; 3720BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands     

Two-temperature theory in generalized magneto-thermoelasticity with two relaxation times

The model of one-dimensional equations of the two-temperature generalized magneto-thermoelasticity theory with two relaxation times in a perfect electric conducting medium is established. The state space approach developed in Ezzat (Can J. Phys. Rev. 86(11):1241–1250, 2008) is adopted for the solution of one-dimensional problems. The resulting formulation together with the Laplace transform techniques are applied to a specific problem of a half-space subjected to thermal shock and traction-free surface. The inversion of the Laplace transforms is carried out using a numerical approach. Some comparisons have been shown in figures to estimate the effects of the temperature discrepancy and the applied magnetic field.     

NMR for equilateral triangular geometry under conditions of surface relaxivity—analytical and random walk solution

We consider analytical and numerical solution of NMR relaxation under the condition of surface relaxation in an equilateral triangular geometry. We present an analytical expression for the Green’s function in this geometry. We calculate the transverse magnetic relaxation without magnetic gradients present, single-phase, both analytically and numerically. There is a very good match between the analytical and numerical results. We also show that the magnetic signal from an equilateral triangular geometry is qualitatively different from the known solution: plate, cylinder, and sphere, in the case of a nonuniform initial magnetization. Nonuniform magnetization close to the sharp corners makes the magnetic signal very fast multiexponential. This type of initial configuration fits qualitatively with the experimental results by Song (Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 3878 (2000)), Song et al. (Nature 406, 178 (2000)), Song (Mag. Reson. Imag. 19, 417 (2001)) and Lisitza and Song (Phys. Rev. B 65, 172406 (2002)). It should also be noted that the solution presented here can be used to describe absorption of a chemical substance in an equilateral triangular geometry (for a stationary fluid).     

Sorbing and Non-Sorbing Solute Migration in Rough Fractures with a Multi-Species LGA Model: Dispersion Dependence on Retardation and Roughness

A multi-species Lattice-Gas cellular automaton model was applied to the study of the migration of sorbing and non-sorbing tracers in 2D smooth fractures and in a series of increasing roughness fractures. A tenfold increase of the dispersion of the non-sorbing tracer was calculated in the highest roughness case compared to the smooth fracture. Up to a threefold increase of the dispersion of the sorbing tracers was calculated compared to the non-sorbing tracer. These enhanced dispersions were found to be of a Fickian form and were interpreted in terms of the classical Taylor–Aris dispersion. The effects of roughness and retardation over the increase of dispersion were identified and quantified through a semi-empirical relation. These effects were found additive and independent.     

Prediction of interwell tracer flow behaviour in heterogeneous reservoirs

A new numerical approach has been developed for predicting the interwell tracer flow behaviour in heterogeneous porous media typical of water and oil reservoirs. This approach uses a mixed finite-element method with triangular elements to predict pressure and velocity fields, and a novel random walk model to simulate the tracer transport through the reservoir, and to perdict the concentration response at the production well. The mixed finite-element method solves the pressure and velocity simultaneously imposing suitable boundary conditions for both pressure and velocity, which allows the solution of the tracer velocity to be more accurate and to conserve mass more precisely than a standard finite-element method. The random walk model can reflect the tracer flow behaviour directly by tracking the movement of particles representing the tracer input volume.The technique has been validated by comparing the predicted results with analytical solutions of tracer concentration response for a homogeneous five-spot pattern, and with published experimentally observed tracer fronts at breakthrough for homogeneous and three heterogeneous cases of five-spot pattern. Good agreement has been achieved for all cases. The model presented in this paper is general, and can therefore be applied to drive patterns other than the five-spot pattern, and for different types of heterogeneities; it can also include effects such as longitudinal and transverse dispersion and adsorption.     

Investigation of the Geometrical Dispersion Regime in a Single Fracture Using Positron Emission Projection Imaging

The transport properties of a natural fracture crossing a limestone block of 36 cm × 26 cm × 60 cm is studied using positron emission projection imaging. This non-invasive technique allows to measure the spatial distribution of the activity of a radioactive solution (here irradiated-copper-EDTA solution) within the fracture. The fracture aperture is measured from the spatial distribution of the activity as the fracture is completely filled with the tracer. The experiment consists in injecting the tracer at a constant flow rate in the plane of the fracture filled with an identical non-radioactive solution. Every 10 min, a two-dimensional grey scale image of the concentration field is recorded. The heterogeneity of the tracer distribution increases with time in relation with the spatial heterogeneity of the aperture field, and favours only slightly the region of larger aperture. The correlation length of the aperture distribution is larger than the correlation length of the concentration distribution of the tracer within the sample. Consequently, the concentration distribution cannot be modelled using a classical advection–dispersion equation; the mixing process has not reached a stationary Fickian dispersion regime in the finite size domain of the experiment. Nevertheless, the transversally averaged concentration profiles evaluated along the flow direction x rescale adequately with an advective variable , where is the mean velocity and t the time. This result is explained in the context of the geometrical dispersion regime where the mixing dispersion zone grows proportionally with time. Different approaches are proposed to characterise this anomalous dispersion regime.     

Rigorous upscaling of the reactive flow with finite kinetics and under dominant Péclet number

We consider the evolution of a reactive soluble substance introduced into the Poiseuille flow in a slit channel. The reactive transport happens in presence of dominant Péclet and Damköhler numbers. We suppose Péclet numbers corresponding to Taylor’s dispersion regime. The two main results of the paper are the following. First, using the anisotropic perturbation technique, we derive rigorously an effective model for the enhanced diffusion. It contains memory effects and contributions to the effective diffusion and effective advection velocity, due to the flow and chemistry reaction regime. Error estimates for the approximation of the physical solution by the upscaled one are presented in the energy norms. Presence of an initial time boundary layer allows only a global error estimate in L ² with respect to space and time. We use the Laplace’s transform in time to get optimal estimates. Second, we explicit the retardation and memory effects of the adsorption/desorption reactions on the dispersive characteristics and show their importance. The chemistry influences directly the characteristic diffusion width.     

The linear-viscoelastic behaviour of a dispersion of transversely rigid spherical capsules

A rheological model has been derived for the linear-viscoelastic behaviour of a dispersion of transversely rigid spherical capsules. The model incorporates finite thickness of the elastic shell of the capsules, anisotropy of the mechanical properties of the interface and finite volume fraction. The dynamic viscosity of the dispersion is calculated. The influence of the microstructural parameters is considered and the results are compared with those of other models. The model shows that finite thickness of the shell can strongly influence the relaxation times.     

On band gaps of nonlocal acoustic lattice metamaterials: a robust strain gradient model

We have proposed an “exact” strain gradient(SG) continuum model to properly predict the dispersive characteristics of diatomic lattice metamaterials with local and nonlocal interactions. The key enhancement is proposing a wavelength-dependent Taylor expansion to obtain a satisfactory accuracy when the wavelength gets close to the lattice spacing. Such a wavelength-dependent Taylor expansion is applied to the displacement field of the diatomic lattice, resulting in a novel SG model. For various k...     

A Fickian diffusion model for the spreading of liquid plumes infiltrating in heterogeneous media

Infiltration of water and non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) in the vadose zone gives rise to complex two- and three-phase immiscible displacement processes. Physical and numerical experiments have shown that ever-present small-scale heterogeneities will cause a lateral broadening of the descending liquid plumes. This behavior of liquid plumes infiltrating in the vadose zone may be similar to the familiar transversal dispersion of solute plumes in single-phase flow. Noting this analogy we introduce a mathematical model for ‘phase dispersion’ in multiphase flow as a Fickian diffusion process. It is shown that the driving force for phase dispersion is the gradient of relative permeability, and that addition of a phase-dispersive term to the governing equations for multiphase flow is equivalent to an effective capillary pressure which is proportional to the logarithm of the relative permeability of the infiltrating liquid phase. The relationship between heterogeneity-induced phase dispersion and capillary and numerical dispersion effects is established. High-resolution numerical simulation experiments in heterogeneous media show that plume spreading tends to be diffusive, supporting the proposed convection-dispersion model. Finite difference discretization of the phase-dispersive flux is discussed, and an illustrative application to NAPL infiltration from a localized source is presented. It is found that a small amount of phase dispersion can completely alter the behavior of an infiltrating NAPL plume, and that neglect of phase-dispersive processes may lead to unrealistic predictions of NAPL behavior in the vadose zone.     

Analytical Solutions for Macrodispersion in a 3D Heterogeneous Porous Medium with Random Hydraulic Conductivity and Dispersivity

A stochastic analysis of macrodispersion for conservative solute transport in three-dimension (3D) heterogeneous statistically isotropic and anisotropic porous media when both hydraulic conductivity and local dispersivity are random is presented. Analytical expressions of macrodispersivity are derived using Laplace and Fourier transforms. The effects of various parameters such as ratio of transverse to longitudinal local dispersivity, correlation length ratio, correlation coefficient and direction of flow on asymptotic macrodispersion are studied. The behaviour of growth of macrodispersivity in preasymptotic stage is also shown in this paper. The variation in local dispersion coefficient causes change in transverse macrodispersivity. The consideration of random dispersivity along with random hydraulic conductivity indicates that the total dispersion is affected and important in the case when the hydraulic conductivity and dispersivity are correlated. It is observed that the pre-asymptotic behavior of the macrodispersivity is not sensitive to the choice of spectral density functions.     

求解可压缩流的二维通量分裂格式

传统的一维通量分裂格式在计算界面数值通量时,只考虑网格界面法向的波系。采用传统的TV格式分别求解对流通量和压力通量。通过求解考虑了横向波系影响的角点数值通量来构造一种真正二维的TV通量分裂格式。在计算一维数值算例时,该格式与传统的TV格式具有相同的数值通量计算公式,因此其保留了传统的TV格式精确捕捉接触间断和膨胀激波的优点。在计算二维算例时,该格式比传统的TV格式具有更高的分辨率;在计算二维强激波问题时,消除了传统TV格式的非物理现象,表现出更好的鲁棒性;此外,该格式大大提高了稳定性CFL数,从而具有更高的计算效率。因此,本文方法是一种精确、高效并且具有强鲁棒性的数值方法,在可压缩流的数值模拟中具有广阔的应用前景。     

Solute dispersion in a pulsating flow

The one-dimensional model proposed by Taylor [1] of the dispersion of soluble matter describes approximately the distribution of the solute concentration averaged over the tube section in Poiseuille flow. Aris [2] obtained more accurately the effective diffusion coefficient in Taylor's model and solved the problem for the general case of steady flow in a channel of arbitrary section. Many papers have been published in the meanwhile devoted to particular applications of this theory (for example, [3–5]). Various dispersion models have been constructed [6–8] that make the Taylor—Aris model more accurate at small times and agree with it at large times. The acceleration of the mixing of the solute considered in these models in the presence of the simultaneous influence of molecular diffusion and convective transport also operates in unsteady flows. In particular, the presence of velocity pulsations influences the growth of the dispersion even if the mean flow velocity is equal to zero at every point of the flow. In the present paper, the Taylor—Aris theory is extended to the case of laminar flows with periodically varying flow velocity.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 3, pp. 24–30, September–October, 1982.     

Modeling Transverse Dispersion and Variable Density Flow in Porous Media

A two-dimensional numerical model is used to study the nonlinear behavior of density gradients on transverse dispersion. Numerical simulations are conducted using d ³ f, a computer code for simulation of density-dependent flow in porous media. Considering a density-stratified horizontal flow in a heterogeneous porous media, a series of simulations is carried out to examine the effect of the density gradient on macro-scale transverse dispersivity. Changing salt concentration significantly affects fluid properties. This physical behavior of the fluid involves a non-linearity in modeling the interaction between salt and fresh water. It is concluded that the large-scale transport properties for high density flow deviate significantly from the tracer case due to the spatial variation of permeability, described by statistical parameters, at the local-scale. Indeed, the presence of vertical flow velocities induced by permeability variations is responsible for the reduction of the mixing zone width in the steady state in the case of a high density gradient. Uncertainties in the model simulations are studied in terms of discretization errors, boundary conditions, and convergence of ensemble averaging. With respect to the results, the gravity number appears to be the controlling parameter for dispersive flux. In addition, the applicability and limitations of the nonlinear model of Hassanizadeh (1990) and Hassanizadeh and Leijnse (1995) (Adv Water Resour 18(4):203–215, 1995) in heterogeneous porous media are investigated. We found that the main cause of the nonlinear behavior of dispersion, which is the interaction between density contrast and vertical velocity, needs to be explicitly accounted for in a macro-scale model.     

Wave propagation and dispersion in elasto-plastic microstructured materials

A Mindlin continuum model that incorporates both a dependence upon the microstructure and inelastic (nonlinear) behavior is used to study dispersive effects in elasto-plastic microstructured materials. A one-dimensional equation of motion of such material systems is derived based on a combination of the Mindlin microcontinuum model and a hardening model both at the macroscopic and microscopic level. The dispersion relation of propagating waves is established and compared to the classical linear elastic and gradient-dependent solutions. It is shown that the observed wave dispersion is the result of introducing microstructural effects and material inelasticity. The introduction of an internal characteristic length scale regularizes the ill-posedness of the set of partial differential equations governing the wave propagation. The phase speed does not necessarily become imaginary at the onset of plastic softening, as it is the case in classical continuum models and the dispersive character of such models constrains strain softening regions to localize.     

The effect of dispersion model on the linear stability of miscible displacement in porous media

Chang and Slattery (1986, 1988b) introduced a simplified model of dispersion that contains only two empirical parameters. The traditional model of dispersion (Nikolaevskii, 1959; Bear, 1961; Scheidegger, 1961; de Josselin de Jong and Bossen, 1961; Peaceman, 1966; Bear, 1972) has three empirical parameters, two of which can be measured in one-dimensional experiments while the third, the transverse dispersivity, must be measured in experiments in which a two-dimensional concentration profile develops. It is found that nearly the same linear stability behavior results from using either model.     

初期Taylor弥散实验观察

本文利用激波管所能产生的瞬时定常流场,观察了一种具有间断初始密度分布的物质在这个流场中 Taylor 弥散过程.实验中所测量的物质,是空气中的 CO_2成份;测量手段是红外光谱吸收法;所观察到的过程发生在无量纲时间<0.07的范围内.实验数据与理论结果的比较表明:湍流 Taylor 弥散在初始阶段具有一定的对称性质.     

The influence of free convection on soil salinization in arid regions

Evaporation of groundwater in a region with a shallow water table and small natural replenishment causes accumulation of salts near the ground surface. Water in the upper soil layer becomes denser than in the depth. This is a potentially unstable situation which may result in convective currents. When free convection takes place, estimates of the salinity profile, salt precipitation rate, etc., obtained within the framework of a 1-D (vertical) model fail.Very simplified model of the process is proposed, in which the unsaturated zone is represented by a horizontal soil layer at a constant water saturation, and temperature changes are neglected. The purpose of the model is to obtain a rough estimate of the role of natural convection in the salinization process.A linear stability analysis of a uniform vertical flow is given, and the stability limit is determined numerically as a function of evaporation rate, salt concentration in groundwater, and porous medium dispersivity. The loss of stability corresponds to quite realistic Rayleigh numbers. The stability limit depends in nonmonotonic way on the evaporation rate.The developed convective regime was simulated numerically for a 2-D vertical domain, using finite volume element discretization and FAS multigrid solver. The dependence of the average salt concentration in the upper layer on the Rayleigh number was obtained.List of Main Symbols horizontal wavenumber - _L , _T dispersivities (longitudinal and transversal) - D ^* diffusion coefficient (in a porous medium) - g acceleration of gravity - H thickness of the vadoze zone - k permeability - p pressure - Pe Péclet number - q mass flux - Ra Rayleigh number Greek _L , _T dimensionless dispersivities - coefficient of concentration expansion - coefficient of viscosity variation - volumetric fraction of the liquid phase - viscosity - density - stream function - mass fraction of salt in water Vectors and tensors D dispersion coefficient - e unit vector - I unit tensor - J nonadvective salt flux - V liquid phase velocity - x radius-vector     

Similarity solutions for immiscible phase migration in porous media: an analysis of free boundaries

A fuel pollutant migrating in a water flow throughout a porous medium is distributed between the moving (continuous) and residual (discontinuous) phases. Usually, there is an equilibrium condition between these phases. In this study, the migration of a fuel slug confied within free boundaries moving in the porous medium is considered. This type of fuel migration pertains to circumstances in which convective fuel transport dominates fuel dispersion when fuel saturation approaches zero. A one-dimensional self-similar model is developed, describing the movement of fuel saturation fronts in a porous medium against and with the water flow direction. Several analytical solutions are found revealing the effects of the pore size, fuel viscosity, fuel mass, and the capillary number on the fuel migration in the porous medium.     

A stream tube model for miscible flow

A simple theoretical model is described for deriving a 1-dimensional equation for the spreading of a tracer in a steady flow at the field scale. The originality of the model is to use a stochastic appoach not in the 3-dimensional space but in the 1-D space of the stream tubes. The simplicity of calculation comes from the local relationship between permeability and velocity in a 1-D flow. The spreading of a tracer front is due to local variations in the cross-sectional area of the stream tubes, which induces randomness in travel time. The derived transport equation is averaged in the main flow direction. It differs from the standard dispersion equation. The roles of time and space variables are exchanged. This result can be explained by using the statistical theory of Continuous Time Random Walk instead of a standard Random Walk. However, the two equations are very close, since their solutions have the same first and second moments. Dispersivity is found to be equal to the product of the correlation length by the variance of the logarithm of permeability, a result similar to Gelhar's macrodispersion.Nomenclature A total cross-section area of the sample - C (resident) concentration of tracer - D,D ^* dispersion coefficient - F flux of tracer - G probability distribution function for permeability in the stream-tube segments - I tracer intensity (mass crossing a surface per unit time) - K permeability - L length of the medium - M number of stream tubes in the medium - N number of segments along a stream tube - P pressure - Q total flow rate in the sample - a length of an elementary stream-tube segment - g probability distribution function for permeability in the space - i, j indices, tube numbers - q flow rate in each stream tube - s variable cross-section area of a stream tube - t, t time - u front velocity - x space variable in the flow direction - small local variation in time - , _t longitudinal, transverse dispersivity - porosity of the porous medium - correlation length in the permeability field - viscosity of the fluid - time for filling an elementary stream tube segment - standard deviation of a stochastic variable - probability distribution of arrival times (Gaussian)