Determining concentration fields of tracer plumes for layered porous media in flow-tank experiments

 In the laboratory, computer-assisted image analysis provides an accurate and efficient way to monitor tracer experiments. This paper describes the determination of detailed temporal concentration distributions of tracers in a flow-tank experiment by analyzing photographs of plumes of Rhodamine dye through the glass wall of the tank. The methodology developed for this purpose consists of four steps: (1) digitally scanning black and white negatives obtained from photographs of the flow–tank experiment; (2) calibrating and normalizing each digitized image to a standard optical-density scale by determining the relation between the optical density and pixel value for each image; (3) constructing standard curves relating the concentration in an optical density from five experimental runs with predetermined concentrations (2–97 mg/L); and (4) converting the optical density to concentration. The spatial distribution of concentration for two photographs was determined by applying these calibration and conversion procedures to all pixels of the digitized images. This approach provides an efficient way to study patterns of plume evolution and transport mechanisms. Received, March 1998 Revised, September 1998 Accepted, October 1998     

饱和水流溶质运移问题数值解法综述

本文总结了饱和水流中溶质运移方程求解的各种数值方法，分析各种方法的本质特征以及各自的优缺点，并指出了求解对流—弥散方程的各种数值方法的研究进展和值得重视的问题。研究结果表明，自适应欧拉—拉格朗日法(EM)是溶质运移问题中，求解对流—弥散方程是比较有发展潜力的方法之一。以MMOC法为基础在陡峰值高价插值和其它区域低价插值相结合的ELM法，将是未来发展的趋势。而寻求非规则网格上高精度的空间单元插值模式，已开始成为求解对流问题数值方法研究的重点和关键问题。     

基于图像法的多孔介质双分子反应溶质运移模拟

采用图像分析法确定溶质浓度,以硫酸铜和EDTA二钠作为双分子反应物,在多孔介质模型中开展了不同粒径(1.52.0,2.53.0,3.54.0 mm)和流量(1.0,1.5,2.0 mL/s)下反应性溶质运移实验,探讨了应用不完全混合的对流弥散模型(IM-ADRE)对双分子反应溶质运移的模拟和预测,并进行了参数敏感性分析。结果表明:图像分析法可准确获取多孔介质中显色反应性溶质的浓度,灰度值与浓度的决定系数R²大于0.96;用IM-ADRE模型能够准确预测双分子反应性溶质硫酸铜和EDTA二钠在3种不同多孔介质中的运移过程,误差低于3.71%;实验条件的改变对IM-ADRE模型参数D、m和β₀的影响显著,说明模型参数依赖于环境条件,其变化规律需要根据实际环境条件进一步率定,便于IM-ADRE模型的进一步推广应用。     

DNA tracers with information capacity and high detection sensitivity tested in groundwater studies

 In order to investigate the usefulness of unique synthetic DNA tracers in groundwater, a field experiment was conducted in Norway. DNA tracers and a sodium-chloride tracer were injected into an aquifer. The transport of DNA molecules was interpreted by comparing with the plume of chloride ions under forced-gradient steady-state flow conditions. Spatial concentration moments described the migration of conservative tracers. Mobility and migration of DNA in groundwater demonstrate that DNA tracers can be detected by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequence analysis. The results indicate that DNA tracers can be valuable tools as tracers in groundwater investigations. Received, June 1997 / Revised, July 1998, December 1998 / Accepted, January 1999     

多孔介质中非均匀流动特性的染色示踪试验研究

通过土壤染色剂进行的4组试验,对不同介质结构条件下的水流和溶质非均匀运动规律,非均匀流动变异信息分布特征关系以及全局性非均匀流动示踪方法进行了研究。结果表明,即使在相对比较均匀的介质条件下,流动也表现出明显的非均匀特性;对数正态分布能够较好的反映水流的运动分布模式,相比水流运动,溶质的运动和分布规律明显不同,表现出更多的不确定性和变异性。     

孔隙尺度多孔介质流体流动与溶质运移高性能模拟

深入探究孔隙尺度下的流体流动特性和溶质运移规律对石油开采、农田养分管理、地下水污染修复有着重要意义。以人工构建的多孔介质结构和同步辐射X射线显微CT扫描的土壤团聚体(分辨率3.7μm)为研究对象,在空间节点数多达64 000 000的情况下,基于格子Boltzmann模型和GPU并行技术计算得到多孔介质流体运动和溶质运移过程的关键参数,并据此探究多孔介质空间异质性对水力学特性的影响。通过对3组不同结构的多孔介质比较发现,结构复杂程度最高的土壤样品和不规则堆叠的圆球结构的渗透率在100 mD(即10^-13m^2)量级,远低于规则堆叠的圆球结构(>20 000 mD);土壤的迂曲度为1.40~1.60,明显高于规则堆叠的圆球结构。研究结果表明,渗透率大的样品具有较小的迂曲度,这与结构的空间异质性有较强的关系;土壤的渗透率和迂曲度呈现各向异性;在水力梯度一定的前提下,渗透率较大的样品,纵向弥散系数也较大;同时,结构的异质性也会影响溶质的穿透曲线。本研究提出的模拟方法可在土壤结构中进行高效的水流运动和溶质运移模拟,可用于土壤多孔介质在孔隙尺度下的水力学特性研究。     

A comparison of estimated and calculated effective porosity

 Effective porosity in solute-transport analyses is usually estimated rather than calculated from tracer tests in the field or laboratory. Calculated values of effective porosity in the laboratory on three different textured samples were compared to estimates derived from particle-size distributions and soil–water characteristic curves. The agreement was poor and it seems that no clear relationships exist between effective porosity calculated from laboratory tracer tests and effective porosity estimated from particle-size distributions and soil–water characteristic curves. A field tracer test in a sand-and-gravel aquifer produced a calculated effective porosity of approximately 0.17. By comparison, estimates of effective porosity from textural data, moisture retention, and published values were approximately 50–90% greater than the field calibrated value. Thus, estimation of effective porosity for chemical transport is highly dependent on the chosen transport model and is best obtained by laboratory or field tracer tests. Received, March 1997 · Revised, August 1997 · Accepted, August 1997     

孔隙尺度多孔介质流体流动与溶质运移高性能模拟

深入探究孔隙尺度下的流体流动特性和溶质运移规律对石油开采、农田养分管理、地下水污染修复有着重要意义。以人工构建的多孔介质结构和同步辐射X射线显微CT扫描的土壤团聚体（分辨率3.7 μm）为研究对象，在空间节点数多达64 000 000的情况下，基于格子Boltzmann模型和GPU并行技术计算得到多孔介质流体运动和溶质运移过程的关键参数，并据此探究多孔介质空间异质性对水力学特性的影响。通过对3组不同结构的多孔介质比较发现，结构复杂程度最高的土壤样品和不规则堆叠的圆球结构的渗透率在100 mD（即10^-13m²）量级，远低于规则堆叠的圆球结构（>20 000 mD）；土壤的迂曲度为1.40~1.60，明显高于规则堆叠的圆球结构。研究结果表明，渗透率大的样品具有较小的迂曲度，这与结构的空间异质性有较强的关系；土壤的渗透率和迂曲度呈现各向异性；在水力梯度一定的前提下，渗透率较大的样品，纵向弥散系数也较大；同时，结构的异质性也会影响溶质的穿透曲线。本研究提出的模拟方法可在土壤结构中进行高效的水流运动和溶质运移模拟，可用于土壤多孔介质在孔隙尺度下的水力学特性研究。     

Adaptive POD model reduction for solute transport in heterogeneous porous media

We study the applicability of a model order reduction technique to the solution of transport of passive scalars in homogeneous and heterogeneous porous media. Transport dynamics are modeled through the advection-dispersion equation (ADE) and we employ Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) as a strategy to reduce the computational burden associated with the numerical solution of the ADE. Our application of POD relies on solving the governing ADE for selected times, termed snapshots. The latter are then employed to achieve the desired model order reduction. We introduce a new technique, termed Snapshot Splitting Technique (SST), which allows enriching the dimension of the POD subspace and damping the temporal increase of the modeling error. Coupling SST with a modeling strategy based on alternating over diverse time scales the solution of the full numerical transport model to its reduced counterpart allows extending the benefit of POD over a prolonged temporal window so that the salient features of the process can be captured at a reduced computational cost. The selection of the time scales across which the solution of the full and reduced model are alternated is linked to the Péclet number (P e), representing the interplay between advective and dispersive processes taking place in the system. Thus, the method is adaptive in space and time across the heterogenous structure of the domain through the combined use of POD and SST and by way of alternating the solution of the full and reduced models. We find that the width of the time scale within which the POD-based reduced model solution provides accurate results tends to increase with decreasing P e. This suggests that the effects of local-scale dispersive processes facilitate the POD method to capture the salient features of the system dynamics embedded in the selected snapshots. Since the dimension of the reduced model is much lower than that of the full numerical model, the methodology we propose enables one to accurately simulate transport at a markedly reduced computational cost.     

Modeling microbial processes in porous media

 The incorporation of microbial processes into reactive transport models has generally proceeded along two separate lines of investigation: (1) transport of bacteria as inert colloids in porous media, and (2) the biodegradation of dissolved contaminants by a stationary phase of bacteria. Research over the last decade has indicated that these processes are closely linked. This linkage may occur when a change in metabolic activity alters the attachment/detachment rates of bacteria to surfaces, either promoting or retarding bacterial transport in a groundwater-contaminant plume. Changes in metabolic activity, in turn, are controlled by the time of exposure of the microbes to electron acceptors/donor and other components affecting activity. Similarly, metabolic activity can affect the reversibility of attachment, depending on the residence time of active microbes. Thus, improvements in quantitative analysis of active subsurface biota necessitate direct linkages between substrate availability, metabolic activity, growth, and attachment/detachment rates. This linkage requires both a detailed understanding of the biological processes and robust quantitative representations of these processes that can be tested experimentally. This paper presents an overview of current approaches used to represent physicochemical and biological processes in porous media, along with new conceptual approaches that link metabolic activity with partitioning of the microorganism between the aqueous and solid phases. Received, January 1999 · Revised, June 1999, July 1999 · Accepted, October 1999     

Experimental study on the velocity-dependent dispersion of the solute transport in different porous media

The hydrodynamic dispersion is an important factor influencing the reactive solute transport in the porous media, and many previous studies assumed that it linearly varied with the average velocity of the groundwater flow. Actually, such linear relationship has been challenged by more and more experimental observations, even in homogeneous media. In this study, we aim to investigate the relationship between hydrodynamics dispersion and the flow velocity in different types of porous media through a laboratory-controlled experiment. The results indicate that(1) the dispersion coefficient should not be a linear function of the flow velocity when the relationship between the flow velocity and the hydraulic gradient can be described by Darcy's law satisfactorily;(2) Power function works well in describing the dispersion coefficient changing with the flow velocity for different types of porous media, and the power value is between 1.0-2.0 for different particle sizes.     

Experimental study on the velocity-dependent dispersion of the solute transport in different porous media

The hydrodynamic dispersion is an important factor influencing the reactive solute transport in the porous media, and many previous studies assumed that it linearly varied with the average velocity of the groundwater flow. Actually, such linear relationship has been challenged by more and more experimental observations, even in homogeneous media. In this study, we aim to investigate the relationship between hydrodynamics dispersion and the flow velocity in different types of porous media through a laboratory-controlled experiment. The results indicate that (1) the dispersion coefficient should not be a linear function of the flow velocity when the relationship between the flow velocity and the hydraulic gradient can be described by Darcy’s law satisfactorily; (2) Power function works well in describing the dispersion coefficient changing with the flow velocity for different types of porous media, and the power value is between 1.0-2.0 for different particle sizes.     

非均质土柱中溶质迁移的连续时间随机游走模拟

非均质介质中溶质迁移往往出现非费克现象,传统的对流弥散方程(ADE)则难以较好地描述这种现象.采用连续时间的随机游走理论(CTRW)研究1250cm长一维非均质土柱中溶质运移问题,探讨CTRW模型中参数及非费克迁移的变化特征.研究结果表明,β值的大小与介质的非均质特征有关,非均质性越强,β值越小,但β值具有相对的稳定性,然而ADE的弥散系数则具有随尺度增大而增大的现象.对于介质非均质性较强和非费克现象较明显的溶质穿透曲线,尤其是在拖尾部分,与ADE相比,CTRW具有较高的模拟精度.     

The effect of distribution of iron-oxyhydroxide grain coatings on the transport of bacterial cells in porous media

 Among the demonstrated processes influencing the transport of bacteria through aquifers, the deposition of cells on mineral surfaces is one of the most important. For example, understanding the transport of introduced bacteria through aquifers is essential to designing some in situ bioremediation schemes. The impact of the presence and distribution of Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide-coated sand grains on bacterial transport through porous media was evaluated in column experiments in which bacteria (short rods; 1.2 μm length) were eluted through columns of quartz sand (0.5–0.6 mm in diameter) for several conditions of chemical heterogeneity of mineral substrate. Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide-coated sand was present as 10% of the mass, and it was arranged in three treatments: (1) homogeneously distributed, and present as a discrete layer (2) at the top and (3) at the bottom of 14-cm-long sand columns. A pulse input of 10⁸ cells ml^–1 was introduced in an artificial groundwater solution flowing at 14 cm h^–1 through the column, and eluted cells were counted. Peak breakthrough occurred at 1.0 pore volume. A large proportion of cells were retained; 14.7–15.8% of the cells were recovered after three pore volumes of solution had eluted through clean quartz sand, and only 2.1–4.0% were recovered from the Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide-coated sand mixtures. The three physical arrangements of the chemical heterogeneity resulted in essentially the same breakthrough of cells, indicating that the spatial distribution of iron coating does not affect the transport of bacteria. The results of the column transport experiments, which mimic hydrogeological conditions encountered in field problems, are consistent with our mechanistic understanding of bacterial sorption. Received: 10 April 1996 · Accepted: 17 February 1997     

地下水溶质运移数值模拟模型参数的局部灵敏度研究

采用局部灵敏度分析方法计算天津市滨海新区南港工业区内某研究区含水层渗透系数、降水入渗补给系数、纵向弥散度、孔隙度对地下水溶质运移数值模拟模型模拟结果的影响。结果表明,含水层渗透系数、纵向弥散度及孔隙度灵敏度较高,对模拟结果影响较大,降水入渗补给系数对模拟结果影响很小。三个灵敏参数的灵敏度排序为孔隙度>纵向弥散度>渗透系数。     

一维均质与非均质土柱中溶质迁移的分数微分对流-弥散模拟

分数微分对流-弥散方程(FADE)是模拟溶质迁移问题的新理论,但应用FADE来模拟溶质迁移时能否克服弥散的尺度效应尚待验证。利用长土柱实验资料结合FADE的解析解拟合推求FADE的弥散系数,并分析其与尺度之间的相关关系。研究结果表明,FADE的弥散系数具有随尺度增大而增大的现象,且均质土柱中FADE的弥散系数尺度效应小于非均质土柱中弥散系数尺度效应。在均质土柱中,弥散系数与尺度之间成指数相关关系,在非均质土柱中,弥散系数与尺度之间成幂相关关系。考虑了弥散系数分别与迁移时间和迁移距离呈线性递增两种相关关系,进而分别构建了3种考虑弥散尺度效应的FADE模型,并提出了求解的差分方法。利用上述3种考虑弥散尺度效应的FADE来模拟和预测不同空间位置处的溶质迁移过程。结果表明,对均质土柱中的溶质迁移可得到较好的模拟结果;对于非均质土柱,其模拟结果与实测结果仍然存在一定的差异。     

三维裂隙网络溶质运移粒子追踪法

本文讨论了利用粒子追踪方法模拟岩体三维裂隙网络中溶质迁移的问题.在本研究中裂隙为圆盘形,具有一定的张开宽度;其中流体的流动为面状流,发生在整个裂隙圆盘范围内.粒子追踪时考虑了对流、纵向弥散和横向弥散.利用提出的方法模拟了一个野外实际钻孔示踪试验.对模拟得到的示踪剂恢复曲线与实测的回收曲线进行了对比,二者的结果基本一致.     

连续时间随机游动理论模拟多孔介质中溶质运移的研究进展

近年来,基于连续时间随机游动(Continuous Time Random Walk, CTRW)理论所建立的模拟非均质多孔介质中溶质运移的方法已在大量的数值实验、室内实验、野外实验中得到了广泛的验证,为非均质多孔介质中的溶质运移行为提供了一种有效的模拟方法。简述了提出和发展CTRW的研究背景、基础理论以及与经典的对流-弥散方程等其他模拟方法的关系,综述了该理论在模拟溶质运移中的发展和应用,分析了实际应用中的关键问题,并展望了将其进一步发展应用于模拟反应性溶质运移的前景。     

多孔介质中溶质有效扩散系数预测的分形模型

依据分形理论和方法,探索溶质在多孔介质中的有效扩散系数的替代预测方法。在多孔介质溶质扩散的弯曲毛细管束模型的基础上,以分形维数作为介质的基本几何特性参数,建立了多孔介质中溶质扩散的分形毛细管束模型,推导出了溶质有效扩散系数与介质孔隙度之间的幂定律关系式,幂指数是介质孔隙分维和表面分维的函数,反映了介质孔隙体积的层次分布与孔隙通道曲折程度对扩散的影响。对粘性土的分形维数测定数据和有效扩散系数试验测定数据的分析表明,利用该关系式预测多孔介质中溶质的有效扩散系数是较为准确可靠的。