Numerical analysis of contaminant removal from fractured rock during boiling

A multiphase heat transfer numerical model is used to simulate a laboratory experiment of contaminant removal at boiling temperatures from a rock core representing the matrix adjacent to a fracture. The simulated temperature, condensate production, contaminant and bromide concentrations are similar to experimental data. A key observation from the experiment and simulation is that boiling out approximately 1/2 pore volume (50 mL) of water results in the removal of essentially 100% of the dissolved volatile contaminant (1,2-DCA). A field-scale simulation using the multiple interacting continua (MINC) discretization approach is conducted to illustrate possible applications of thermal remediation of fractured geologic media, assuming uniform heating. The results show that after 28% of the pore water (including both steam vapor and liquid water) was extracted, and essentially all the 1,2-DCA mass (more than 99%) was removed.

► We simulated a laboratory experiment of contaminant removal from boiling fractured rock with a multiphase numerical model. ► The simulated results are similar to the experimental data. ► Field-scale thermal remediation of fractured geologic media was simulated using the MINC discretization method. ► The simulation results show that thermal remediation could be effective in treating fractured porous media.