Attachment-detachment dynamics of suspended particle in porous media: Experiment and modeling

•A mathematical model for simulating porous physical clogging is developed.•The experimental protocol to determine the particle attachment and detachment parameter is proposed.•The particle attachment and detachment parameters are not constant values which are influenced by seepage velocity.•The indoor experiment measured values are well fitted with the calculated results of the model.

SummaryClogging problems occur frequently during the process of artificial recharge, and especially physical clogging, caused by suspended particles in the water, seriously affects the recharge efficiency. In our study, a mathematical model for simulating porous physical clogging were developed by coupling the model of particle transition-deposition in porous media and expressions correlating permeability coefficient, porosity and concentration of deposited particles, to provide a systematic description of the occurrence and development of physical clogging. In addition, the attachment and detachment coefficients in above model which used to be adopted as fixed values were found influenced by the Darcy velocity. And the experimental protocol to determine the particle attachment and detachment parameter was also proposed in the study. With a lower velocity, particles were attached to the surface of the grains, whereas when the velocity became higher, particles were gradually detached from the grain surface. When the deposited particles occupied the pore space, media clogging may occur. The modeling verification indicated that the calculated values displayed a good qualitative agreement with the measured values of the 1-D column test, therefore, the improved method for valuing attachment and detachment parameters can be used for the prediction of artificial recharge clogging.