Application of the Dispersion Model and Comparison with Hydrodynamic Parameters in Porous Media Column

Abstract

Reactive transport experiments carried out in columns filled with different porous media (aquifer sediment and soil-sea sand mixtures) and injection of seawater or calcium chloride showed differences between tracer breakthrough curves (BTC) used to calculate the column hydrodynamic parameters. These research experiments in columns filled with glass beads were carried out with the main goal to study transport and dispersion processes in inert homogeneous media. The column hydrodynamic characteristics were determined with the program ACUAINTRUSION TRANSPORT, designed by the Chemical Engineering Department of the University of Alicante. On the other hand, the estimation of the dispersion module was performed using different approximations, depending on the dispersion degree and the tracer injection mode (pulse or step) in the column, as shown in Levenspiel. Different results are obtained in this research to obtain the best approximation to ACUAINTRUSION TRANSPORT parameters.