Numerical Modeling of Steam Injection for the Removal of Nonaqueous Phase Liquids From the Subsurface 2. Code Validation and Application

Water Resources Research, Vol 28, Num 2, pp.451-465, February 1992

MESHING
RESEARCH
CORNER

Earth Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley

Summary
The multiphase steam injection simulator developed in part I (Faita et al., this issue) is used to simulate two laboratory column steam displacement experiments. In the first simulation, steam is injected into a clean, water-saturated column, while in the second simulation, steam is injected into a column containing both water and separate phase trichloroethylene. In both cases, the numerical results are in good quantitative agreement with the experimental data. Based on the assumption of local chemical equilibrium between the phases, a simple criterion is derived for determining the major mechanism of nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL)/chemical transport during the steam displacement process. Several one- dimensional simulations of the steam displacement of high-boiling-point NAPLs are discussed. These results are consistent with theoretical predictions and indicate that steam may efficiently displace organic liquids hav;ng boiling points substantially greater than that of water.