Modeling Transverse Dispersion and Variable Density Flow in Porous Media |
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Authors: | H M Nick R Schotting M Gutierrez-Neri K Johannsen |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Imperial College, London, UK;(2) Environmental Hydrogeology Group, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands;(3) The Bergen Center for Computational Science, Bergen, Norway |
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Abstract: | 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. |
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Keywords: | Heterogeneity Porous media Density contrast Solute transport Macro-dispersivity |
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