Intermediate-scale Laboratory Experiments to Evaluate Pore-water Extraction from Hanford Sediments
EMSL Project ID
47629
Abstract
Preliminary flow cell experiments have demonstrated that sustained pore-water extraction from unsaturated sediments can be obtained under highly controlled conditions in the laboratory. The design of the experiments was such that moving air was forced to travel through the sediment imposing pressure gradients directly on the targeted sediment so that pore water moved towards the extraction boundary of the system. However, under field conditions, water cumulative outflow may be affected by preferential gas flow in relatively coarse-grained, highly permeable sediments, and/or issues with well-pack sand configurations. Before a field pilot test can be designed, more detailed intermediate-scale laboratory work and associated modeling is needed to investigate the feasibility of pore-water extraction under more complex conditions. The Department of Energy has recently funded PNNL to conduct these tests in the EMSL Subsurface Flow and Transport Laboratory during FY12 and FY13. The main objective of the newly funded effort is to come to a better understanding of the extraction phenomena in heterogeneous systems so a science-based assessment can be made whether or not the technique can be effectively applied in the field.
Project Details
Start Date
2012-09-27
End Date
2013-09-29
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members