Longitudinal dispersion in nonuniform isotropic porous media

Abstract

A theoretical and experimental investigation has been made of the longitudinal dispersion of chemically and dynamically passive solutes during flow through nonuniform, isotropic porous media. Both theoretical and experimental results are limited to the high Peclet number, low Reynolds number flow regime. The goal of the theoretical investigation is to provide a quantitative method for calculating the coefficient of longitudinal dispersion using only measurable structural features of the porous medium and the characteristics of the carrying fluid and solute. A nonuniform porous medium contains variations in grain scale pore structure, but is homogeneous at the macroscopic level for quantities such as the permeability or porosity. A random capillary tube network model of nonuniform porous media is developed which uses a pore radius distribution and pore length distribution to characterize the grain scale structure of porous media. The analysis gives the asymptotic longitudinal dispersion coefficient in terms of integrals of kinematic properties of solute particles flowing through individual, random capillary tubes. However, shear dispersion within individual capillary tubes is found to have negligible impact on the overall longitudinal dispersion in porous media. The dispersion integrals are evaluated using a Monte Carlo integration technique. An analysis of the permeability in nonuniform porous media is used to establish a proper flow field for the analysis of longitudinal dispersion. The experimental investigation of longitudinal dispersion is carried out by measuring (with conductivity probes) the development of an initially sharp miscible displacement interface. The experimentally determined longitudinal dispersion coefficients are found to be greater in nonuniform media than in uniform media when compared using Peclet numbers based on the geometric mean grain diameter. The experimental breakthrough curves also display highly asymmetrical shapes, in which the "tail" of the breakthrough is longer than would be expected from advection-diffusion theory. Although the theoretical model does not predict the tailing behavior, it is found that the leading portion of the breakthrough curve is described by advection-diffusion theory. The theoretically determined longitudinal dispersion coefficients lie roughly within a factor of 1.35 of the measured values. The material presented in this report is essentially the same as the thesis submitted by the author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.