NUMERICAL MODELING OF MULTIPHASE FLOWS IN POROUS MEDIA AND ITS APPLICATION IN HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING

Abstract

Multiphase flows are governed by three-dimensional Navier Stokes equations for each involved phase. Therefore, solution of these equations for given boundary and initial conditions, in principle, would determine the flow field in time and space. Generally, boundaries between involved phases are not known a priory, but are part of the, solution; or in the case of flows in a porous medium, these boundaries have too complicated geometry to be resolved mathematically. This resulted into development of simplified models, where the level of simplifications determines the model applicability. However, in order to represent simulated flows accurately, the model should include as much as possible relevant mechanisms and fluid properties. In this study, a numerical model is developed based on finite volume method, in which the volume averaged governing equations are solved. In contrary to the simplified models. a full momentum equations for each involved phase is considered. Such model is utilized in the study to investigate commonly adopted simplifications, and their effects on the model applicability. Namely, for the flows in porous media, the effects of acceleration terms in momentum equations are investigated; first for the saturated groundwater flow, and then; for the air/water flow during air injection into initially saturated soil. It is revealed that in the case of saturated flow in homogeneous, incompressible, low permeable soils, the pressure adapts the new imposed boundary conditions instantaneously, while the velocities reach the quasi-steady conditions extremely fast. In the case of heterogeneous soil, pressure and velocity field have transient nature, but quickly reach the quasi-steady conditions. Only during this onset of flow, the inertia terms play a role. In the case of air/water flow during air sparging, it is revealed that acceleration becomes important for porous medium with average grain size larger than 2 rum. This implies that simulations of such flow in coarse sands and gravels should include acceleration. It is explicitly shown that phenomena of flow pulsation, manifesting as steady pulsation at the constant air-injection flow rate, can be modeled only by inclusion of acceleration terms in governing equations. Theoretical analysis; conducted by application of one-dimensional stability analysis, revealed that inertial effects promote the instability, while the capillary forces oppose it. Ratio of these forces determines the onset of instability. It is showed that for materials with average grain size smaller than 2 mm, instability can not be expected. In order to apply the model for simulation of contaminant removal during air sparging, the contaminant transport model is supplied. Mechanistic numerical models inherently assume that involved phases are completely mixed, and by now reported models commonly assume the local equilibrium of contaminant between the air and water phase. As reported by many investigators, this leads toward an overestimated contaminant removal. Therefore, in this model a channel air flow pattern is considered, where transfer of contaminant between the water and the air phase is modeled according to two film theory. Diffusive process of contaminant transport toward the air phase is modeled by a first order kinetic process between two water compartments: a immobile compartment in contact with the air phase and mobile compartment which has no contact with the air phase. Application of the developed model to reported two-dimensional experiment, showed a good agreement between simulated and measured transient change of dissolved contaminant in the water. This study also showed that single numerical model, through the minor refinements, can be applied to wide variety of hydraulic engineering problems. By inclusion of gas compressibility, and mass exchange between the gas and the water phase in continuity equations, with adapting the drag term in momentum equations, a bubble phone model is proposed which can be utilized for simulation of lake amelioration by gas (air or pure oxygen) injection. Model is qualitatively and quantitatively validated by comparison with reported experiments from the literature. Hypothetical simulation of pure oxygen injection into 50 in deep lake showed that, due to ambient water entrainment into the gas plume, a significant spreading of dissolved oxygen can not be expected. Therefore, a optional gas injection strategy should be considered. Developed model can be utilized in order to propose an optimal gas injection design. Finally.. the same numerical model is proposed for simulation of flow in complex flow domains, consisting of bulk water and flow in porous medium with free surface boundary. Model is formulated in generalized curvilinear coordinates, in order to provide adequate representation of irregular boundaries. In contrast to earlier proposed boundary conditions at the two domain interface, in this model a continuity of velocities and stresses is assumed; for both regions a single set of governing equations is solved. Model application is illustrated by simulation of embankment overflow and its effect on effective stresses in the porous medium. It is showed that coupled, bulk water and groundwater flow, significantly influence the slope failure potential, here quantified by the Coulomb failure coefficient for non cohesive soils.