Simulating the injection of micellar solutions to recover diesel in a sand column

J Contam Hydrol. 2009 Jan 26;103(3-4):99-108. doi: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2008.09.009. Epub 2008 Sep 26.

Abstract

This paper presents numerical simulations of laboratory experiments where diesel, initially present at 18% residual saturation in a sand column, was recovered by injecting a micellar solution containing the surfactant Hostapur SAS-60 (SAS), and two alcohols, n-butanol (n-BuOH), and n-pentanol (n-PeOH). The micellar solution was developed and optimized for diesel recovery using phase diagrams and soil column experiments. Numerical simulations with the compositional simulator UTCHEM agree with the experimental results and show that the entire residual diesel in the sand column was recovered after the downward injection of 5 pore volumes of the micellar solution. Recovery of diesel occurs by enhanced solubility in the microemulsion phase and by mobilization. An additional series of simulations investigated the effects of phase transfer, alcohol partitioning, and component segregation on diesel recovery. These simulations indicate that diesel can be accurately represented in the model by a single component, but that the pseudo-component approach for active matter and the assumption of local phase equilibrium leads to an underestimation of diesel mobilization.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Computer Simulation
  • Gasoline / analysis*
  • Micelles*
  • Models, Chemical
  • Silicon Dioxide / chemistry*
  • Solutions
  • Viscosity

Substances

  • Gasoline
  • Micelles
  • Solutions
  • Silicon Dioxide