Clogging mechanisms and preventive measures in artificial recharge systems

Groundwater which occurs in fractured rock or porous aquifers or other geological weak zones such as faults and fractures is usually extracted via boreholes, hand wells or other sources such as springs.Water scarcity has become a severe problem due to many factors, such as an alarming increase in population and per capita water consumption, over exploitation of groundwater resources and abrupt global climatic change along with its related eco-environmental geological problems. In such situation, application of artificial recharge systems(e.g. surface recharge basin and deep injection well systems) can help to effectively manage and augment the unitization of groundwater resources. However, the clogging problem,which may be caused by a complex interdependent mechanisms of physical, chemical and biological has been a challenge for the efficacy and the implementation of recharge facilities. Clogging can reduce the permeability, recharge rate and longevity of recharge facilities and increase the operational and maintenance costs. Major influencing factors associated with the occurrence of clogging include the chemical composition of groundwater(both the recharge water and native groundwater), aquifer medium and microbial diversity, together with other environmental factors such as temperature, pressure, total dissolved solids, total soluble salts, pH, Eh, nutrients, gases, carbonates and others; these factors ultimately increase the piezometric head but reduce the permeability and infiltration rates of porous/seepage media.Pretreatment of recharge water can minimize the potential clogging. In the case of clogged wells,rehabilitation methods need to be deployed. In the meantime, there is an urgent needs to understand the basic causes and developmental processes/mechanisms of clogging in order to mitigate this problem. This paper reviews the major clogging mechanisms and their possible preventive measures and redevelopments in artificial recharge systems.     

地下水人工回灌气相堵塞特征的试验研究

地下水人工回灌可以高效地利用雨季丰沛的水量来缓解地下水过量开采造成的海水入侵、泉水断流等环境水文地质问题,但回灌堵塞一直是制约人工回灌效率的关键问题。针对雨洪水回灌携带的大量气泡问题,设计室内砂柱试验模拟装置,利用曝气水进行人工回灌,定时记录试验过程中测压管读数及出流流量,利用达西定律计算各层渗透系数,研究气相堵塞的发展过程和规律。结果表明:回灌过程中由于气相堵塞导致含水层渗透系数随时间呈指数衰减,气相堵塞主要发生在介质浅表层（0~30 cm）,且随时间有向下发展的趋势,堵塞速率随深度的增加逐渐减小,在回灌过程中适时停灌进行排气有利于减小气相堵塞对回灌效率的影响。     

地下水位抬升对人工回灌中悬浮物堵塞的影响

为了研究人工回灌条件下地下水位抬升对悬浮颗粒在含水层中的迁移-沉积的影响机理,在室内模拟实验中,采用100 mg/L的金刚砂悬浊水回灌中粒石英砂介质,分别研究了不同抬升速率(0、2、4cm/h)条件下人工回灌过程中的悬浮物堵塞规律。实验结果表明:地下水位抬升速率对堵塞位置和堵塞位置处悬浮物的级配影响不大,悬浮物主要淤积在0~2cm深度处;在26h前地下水位抬升引起的入渗量比地下水位固定的入渗量小,在26h后二者相反;水位抬升使介质表层堵塞发展速度减慢,非堵塞层渗流状态出现非饱和时刻滞后;在堵塞层0~2cm处地下水位抬升使堵塞速率小于地下水位固定的堵塞速率。     

Clogging mechanism in the process of reinjection of used geothermal water: A simulation research on Xianyang No.2 reinjection well in a super-deep and porous geothermal reservoir

In the process of geothermal exploitation and utilization, the reinjection amount of used geothermal water in super-deep and porous reservoir is small and significantly decreases over time. This has been a worldwide problem, which greatly restricts the exploitation and utilization of geothermal resources. Based on a large amount of experiments and researches, the reinjection research on the tail water of Xianyang No. 2 well, which is carried out by combining the application of hydrogeochemical simulation, clogging mechanism research and the reinjection experiment, has achieved breakthrough results. The clogging mechanism and indoor simulation experiment results show: Factors affecting the tail water reinjection of Xianyang No. 2 well mainly include chemical clogging, suspended solids clogging, gas clogging, microbial clogging and composite clogging, yet the effect of particle migration on clogging has not been found; in the process of reinjection, chemical clogging was mainly caused by carbonates (mainly calcite), silicates (mainly chalcedony), and a small amount of iron minerals, and the clogging aggravated when the temperature rose; suspended solids clogging also aggravated when the temperature rose, which showed that particles formed by chemical reaction had a certain proportion in suspended solids.     

地下水人工回灌过程中多孔介质悬浮物堵塞实验

地下水人工回灌技术的发展与推广常因其回灌过程中物理、化学及生物作用产生的入渗介质堵塞现象而受到严重制约。针对堵塞现象中最常见且最主要的悬浮物堵塞问题,采用室内模拟实验方法,通过将悬浊水连续注入均质的石英砂柱中,来刻画多孔介质中悬浮物堵塞的现象及发生的过程,并分析其发展规律,同时量化计算了堵塞速率。实验结果表明：回灌15 h左右表层介质渗透系数开始降低,即堵塞在表层开始发生,并随时间增加不断向深部发展;连续回灌100 h后表层渗透系数趋于稳定,进入介质内部悬浮物的量减少,内部堵塞发展也趋于稳定,此时堵塞主要在入渗深度10 cm左右的范围内。计算不同堵塞层的堵塞速率λ:表层0～1 cm的λ最大,为0.038 3 h^-1,λ随入渗深度增加而减小。对于介质整体的渗透性而言,其降低明显滞后于表层介质,但随时间发展主要受堵塞层的控制。     

地下水人工回灌堵塞问题研究进展

地下水人工回灌堵塞问题的产生与回灌水质、入渗介质的矿物成分及颗粒组成特征等多种因素有关,通常根据成因将堵塞分为物理堵塞、化学堵塞和生物堵塞3种类型。大颗粒悬浮物的物理堵塞效应与机理的研究比较成熟,但对于中间颗粒,尤其是胶体颗粒物的堵塞作用机制的研究还相对比较薄弱;化学堵塞的机理复杂,影响因素众多,水文地球化学模拟技术在化学堵塞机理的研究中显示了良好的应用前景;生物堵塞主要由回灌水中细菌和藻类等微生物的繁殖和代谢导致,大量的研究集中在细菌方面,对藻类引起的堵塞问题研究尚不深入;多种堵塞的相互作用过程和作用机理是目前研究的难点问题。堵塞预测的方法主要包括3种:①指标法(如MFI、悬浮物浓度、浊度、AOC、BFR等),简单实用,但不能对堵塞演化过程进行描述或对堵塞程度进行定量表达;②经验公式法,受特定场地的条件限制,难以直接推广和利用;③解析公式法,对堵塞机理的表达更加科学、合理,但模型的建立与求解难度较大。通过合理的水质预处理技术和合理的回灌工艺,可以有效延迟堵塞发生的时间、减缓堵塞累积的程度。开发快速、高效、简单的堵塞处理技术对于延长工程使用寿命和降低经济成本具有重要的现实意义。     

Field investigations and laboratory simulation of clogging in Lixi tailings dam of Jinduicheng,China

Clogging is one of the most important factors affecting the stability of the tailings dams. Firstly, this work investigates the clogging materials of Lixi tailings dam using ICP-AES, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and SEM analysis methods. The ICP-AES results indicate that Fe is the dominant element in the clogging materials. The iron contents of clogging samples collected from 2# radial-well pipe and the access hole of the starter dam are 54.35 and 40.24%, respectively. XRD spectra show that ferric hydroxide is the main initial component of the clogging materials. Other compounds such as akaganeite, hematite and goethite are products from ferric hydroxide transformation. Therefore, the clogging materials are a mixture of ferric hydroxide and its converted products. The clogging materials commonly exist in an amorphous form with a cluster microstructure when viewed under SEM. Secondly, this work uses a continuous flow column to simulate clogging in the laboratory, and the clogging materials are analyzed with XRD and SEM. The chemical analysis indicates that the iron content of the clogging materials from the experiment is 45.43%. XRD spectra show that hematite is the only compound detected. The clogging materials generated experimentally are also in amorphous cluster microstructure when viewed under SEM.     

Spatial and temporal variations of sediment size on a mixed sand and gravel beach

Mixed sand and gravel beaches have been the subject of comparatively few studies in the UK. This paper describes the sediment distribution before, during and after a programme of beach nourishment along a section of mixed sand and gravel beach forming part of the Pevensey Bay Coastal Defences, in East Sussex, UK. The beach was recharged in September 2002, and beach profiles were measured along three cross-shore transects from August 2002 to February 2003. Sediment samples were taken along the transects between August and November 2002, and a total of 147 sediment samples were analysed, 40 before nourishment and 107 after nourishment. The majority of the sediment samples were strongly bimodal, with mean sizes varying between a minimum of 0.18 mm (2.48 ?) for the sand fraction and a maximum of 27 mm (− 4.74 ?) for the gravel. The recharge material was also bimodal but contained more fine sediment than the natural beach material, particularly on the upper beach. The recharge sediment had grain sizes and sorting similar to some of the natural material but lower bimodality parameters than any of the natural sediment. The sediment distributions after recharge contained significantly more fine sediment, particularly on the upper beach. Over time, the beach profile lowered and fine sediment appeared to be selectively transported seawards from the beachface.     

Iron-hydroxide clogging of public supply wells receiving artificial recharge: near-well and in-well hydrological and hydrochemical observations

Clogging of water wells by iron-hydroxide incrustations due to mixing of anoxic and oxic groundwater is a common well-ageing problem. The relation between well operation (on and off), the spatial and temporal variations in hydrochemistry outside and inside a supply well, and the distribution of clogging iron-hydroxides were studied in an artificial recharge well field in the Netherlands. Camera inspection, high-resolution multi-level water sampling outside the well and detailed in-well pH/EC/O₂ profiles revealed remarkable patterns. During pumping, the top of the upper well screen abstracted oxic filtrate, although the larger part of the in-well water column was anoxic. The column rapidly turned oxic after shutdown due to a downward short-circuiting of oxic water via the well. Within 15 d it became anoxic due to the slow advance of anoxic lake filtrate created by local changes in flow direction as the neighboring wells continued to pump. Severe clogging occurred where the oxic filtrate entered the well, while half-clogging of the upper well screen occurred due to less inflow of oxic filtrate on the lake side. Transport of iron flocs and bacterial slimes after shutdown seemed to clog the lower part of the well screen. Frequent on/off switching should be avoided in iron-clogged wells.     

城市雨水地下回灌过程中悬浮物表面堵塞规律

雨洪资源地下回灌是缓解城市供水压力、解决地下水过量开采引起环境负效应的有效途径之一,但堵塞问题却是制约回灌技术推广的关键问题。基于前人理论,研究了入渗介质与悬浮物粒径中值之比(D₅₀/d₅₀)对堵塞层空间分布的影响。以建立表面堵塞预测模型为目的,利用城市雨水回灌细粒石英砂介质开展室内实验,观测雨水回灌的表面堵塞过程并获取渗透性变化的观测数据。根据物理、化学与生物堵塞的产生条件及堵塞特点,判断雨水回灌产生的堵塞性质为物理堵塞。引入过滤模型描述堵塞的发展过程,确定了模型用于模拟细砂表面堵塞的参数值：孔隙堵塞系数（α）为0.15 m²/kg,阻力增长系数（f′R′）为20 000 m/kg。在不改变以上2个参数值的条件下,用该模型模拟不同悬浮物粒径悬浊水回灌细粒石英砂的堵塞过程,取得了较好的拟合效果。此过滤模型可以用于模拟入渗介质与悬浮物粒径D₅₀/d₅₀值小于5的表面堵塞的发展过程,可定量预测堵塞对回灌速率的影响。     

虹吸水流作用下的土柱运动特性及虹吸管道防淤堵措施

虹吸排水联合堆载固结技术是软基处理中的一项新技术,在应用该技术时,虹吸管内土柱的淤堵问题是制约该技术发展的核心问题之一。针对虹吸管内土柱的淤堵问题,采用颗粒沉降模型和水动力学相关理论,推导得到了土柱在虹吸水流作用下的临界高度表达式。根据所推求的表达式,可以制定相应的防淤堵措施,使得虹吸排水能够顺利进行。研究结果表明：土柱容易在虹吸管弯曲圆弧段形成淤堵;对于工程现场最常见的4 mm内径虹吸管,当虹吸管弯曲圆弧段半径大于40 cm或者虹吸管内土柱高度大于4 cm时,就有可能产生淤堵;实际工程中,可以采用减小虹吸管弯曲圆弧段半径、降低虹吸管出水口高度以及减小虹吸管长度的措施减小淤堵的可能,从而保证虹吸过程的持续进行。     

Artificial recharge of groundwater: hydrogeology and engineering

Artificial recharge of groundwater is achieved by putting surface water in basins, furrows, ditches, or other facilities where it infiltrates into the soil and moves downward to recharge aquifers. Artificial recharge is increasingly used for short- or long-term underground storage, where it has several advantages over surface storage, and in water reuse. Artificial recharge requires permeable surface soils. Where these are not available, trenches or shafts in the unsaturated zone can be used, or water can be directly injected into aquifers through wells. To design a system for artificial recharge of groundwater, infiltration rates of the soil must be determined and the unsaturated zone between land surface and the aquifer must be checked for adequate permeability and absence of polluted areas. The aquifer should be sufficiently transmissive to avoid excessive buildup of groundwater mounds. Knowledge of these conditions requires field investigations and, if no fatal flaws are detected, test basins to predict system performance. Water-quality issues must be evaluated, especially with respect to formation of clogging layers on basin bottoms or other infiltration surfaces, and to geochemical reactions in the aquifer. Clogging layers are managed by desilting or other pretreatment of the water, and by remedial techniques in the infiltration system, such as drying, scraping, disking, ripping, or other tillage. Recharge wells should be pumped periodically to backwash clogging layers. Electronic supplementary material to this paper can be obtained by using the Springer LINK server located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10040-001-0182-4. Electronic Publication     

人工回灌条件下滨海砂质含水层渗透性的时空演变特征

人工回灌补给滨海含水层是海水入侵修复经常采用的工程措施,然而人工回灌条件下滨海砂质含水层经常出现渗透性显著降低的现象,其含水介质渗透性的时空演变规律仍不清楚。本文以青岛市大沽河下游咸水入侵区含水层砂样为研究对象,通过利用不同尺度的室内砂柱淡咸水驱替试验,对定水头和定流速条件下人工回灌咸淡水驱替过程中砂质含水层渗透性的时空演变特征进行了研究。结果表明：当淡水驱替咸水时含水介质的渗透性会发生显著变化,整个砂柱的渗透性先降低后回升,原因是回灌过程中砂柱中的黏土矿物发生释放、迁移、沉积;定水头条件下,在砂柱的前半段存在一个淘空区,渗透系数是初始渗透系数的1.6~2.0倍,砂柱其它部分渗透性是先降低再轻微回弹;定流速条件下,砂柱的渗透系数随时间的变化均呈现先降低后升高趋势,且砂柱各段离入水口的距离越远其渗透系数的值越小;砂柱黏粒含量的变化规律与渗透性的演化特征相吻合。研究成果可为人工回灌治理滨海含水层海水入侵提供一定的科学依据。     

人工回灌物理堵塞特征试验及渗滤经验公式推导

人工回灌是提高水资源利用水平的重要工程措施,然而回灌过程中的堵塞问题会影响入渗效率和入渗工程的使用寿命。为了深入研究堵塞的机理,以控制堵塞问题,通过砂柱试验模拟了地下水人工回灌物理堵塞过程,通过测定含水率的变化分析了由堵塞引起的砂柱饱和-非饱和状态的转化。试验中出流速率经过了迅速增大到一峰值后快速减小,然后又缓慢变小的过程,即：仅经过72 h的回灌,砂柱的出流速率减小为2.18 m/d;72 h后砂样出流速率的减小明显放缓;192 h时,砂样出流速率为0.81 m/d,约为出流速率最大值的1/10。试验结果表明：回灌水悬浮物颗粒进入砂样空隙中引起渗透性减弱,和逐渐沉积在砂柱顶部形成的淤泥层是造成堵塞的直接原因,而淤泥层的形成是造成渗滤速率迅速下降的关键因素;淤泥层的弱透水性使砂样由上至下含水率发生了变化,导致了砂样导水率和水力梯度都降低,促使回灌渗滤速率迅速减小;回灌时间越长,淤泥层厚度越大,出流速率越小。由10组对比试验的结果,综合考虑引起雨洪渗滤系统堵塞的各种因素,建立了无砾石滤料雨洪水回灌过程计算渗滤速率变化的经验模型,拟合结果决定性系数为0.932。     

新疆乌拉泊水均衡试验场凝结水对地下水补给的观测研究

通过1989~1995年新疆乌拉泊水均衡试验场潜水埋深4m处包气带凝结水对地下水补给的观测:卵砾石2.58mm/a、细砾3.15mm/a、中砂9.90mm/a、细砂35..87mm/a、粉土10.04mm/a。最有利于包气带凝结水形成的时间是每年的4~9月;包气带凝结水量的大小与土体颗粒相对比表面积和渗透系数相关,推测粉砂的凝结水量约为20mm/a,粘性土小于10mm/a;凝结水对地下水补给的最大量约为50mm/a。综合气候和水文地质条件分析,认为本试验研究成果在我国西北干旱区具有代表性,估算西北地区凝结水对地下水的总补给量大于3×1010m3/a,可能大于平原降水入渗量,在某些区域可能是最主要的地下水补给源。     

Fertilizers mobilization in alluvial aquifer: laboratory experiments

In alluvial plains, intensive farming with conspicuous use of agrochemicals, can cause land pollution and groundwater contamination. In central Po River plain, paleo-channels are important links between arable lands and the underlaying aquifer, since the latter is often confined by clay sediments that act as a barrier against contaminants migration. Therefore, paleo-channels are recharge zones of particular interest that have to be protected from pollution as they are commonly used for water supply. This paper focuses on fertilizer mobilization next to a sand pit excavated in a paleo-channel near Ferrara (Italy). The problem is approached via batch test leaking and columns elution of alluvial sediments. Results from batch experiments showed fast increase in all major cations and anions, suggesting equilibrium control of dissolution reactions, limited availability of solid phases and geochemical homogeneity of samples. In column experiments, early elution and tailing of all ions breakthrough was recorded due to preferential flow paths. For sediments investigated in this study, dispersion, dilution and chemical reactions can reduce fertilizers at concentration below drinking standards in a reasonable time frame, provided fertilizer loading is halted or, at least, reduced. Thus, the definition of a corridor along paleo-channels is recommended to preserve groundwater quality.     

Laboratory study of the clogging process and factors affecting clogging in a tailings dam

Laboratory simulation of clogging in the Lixi tailings dam (Shaanxi Province, China) is urgently required because clogging is an important factor affecting the dam stability. This work firstly presents the results of ferrous iron oxidation experiments using buffer solution. The results indicate that the ferrous iron oxidation follows first order kinetics, and the oxidation process is strongly dependent on pH, a higher pH resulting in a higher oxidation rate. Furthermore, when the pH exceeds 7.0, the oxidation rate constant increases significantly. Secondly, a column experiment was carried out under the conditions of the pH ranging from 6.8 to 7.5 and the natural oxygen supply. Ferrous iron oxidation and precipitation were found to reach equilibrium under these conditions. After 23 days, the column experiment was stopped when the clogging materials blocked the column outlet. The clogging materials were found to be a mixture of ferric hydroxide and its converted products, and these existed in amorphous form with a loose cluster microstructure according to the results of XRD and SEM.     

水源热泵井回灌堵塞颗粒迁移模型的建立

以地下水源热泵井回灌中的物理堵塞问题作为研究背景,建立基于质量平衡方程来模拟多孔介质中颗粒的迁移方程和颗粒的沉积造成孔隙损伤的数学模型。该模型充分考虑了颗粒流动速度修正系数、孔隙率修正系数以及颗粒在孔隙里发生捕获率3个因素;模型的建立考虑孔隙率变化的情况,在物质的迁移和堵塞的过程中,孔隙率的变化往往也是个动态的变化过程;与传统的过滤模型相比,考虑了速度折减系数和流量折减系数后新建模型更加系统、全面。该模型为解决回灌井物理堵塞的室内外试验研究提供理论依据。     

利用水化学场,温度场判断矿坑水补给源及其比例

不同补给源的水,其水质、水温存在差异。根据质量和热量守恒原理,通过对不同补给水源进行长期观察,可确定矿坑水的补给源及其比例。作者推导出了存在二种和三种补给水源情况下各补给水源所占比例的计算公式,并应用到湖南洞口县的石下江煤矿,取得了良好效果。     

基于土柱排水实验探讨潜水含水层给水度的影响因素

给水度是重要的水文地质参数之一,为探讨潜水含水层给水度的影响因素,设计均质粗砂、均质细砂、上细下粗、上粗下细4种土柱的排水实验,按照一定间距分段降低地下水位,每段降深设计不同排水时间,求取不同水位埋深的给水度.当地下水位埋深小于支持毛细水高度,给水度受地下水位埋深影响显著,其关系可以用非线性函数来表示.排水时间越长,给水度越大,当土柱分段排水时间超过1 h,给水度值稳定.0.6~0.9 mm粒径的粗砂给水度大于0.2~0.4 mm的细砂;当地下水位在土层分界面下20 cm时,上细下粗土柱给水度显著增大,上粗下细土柱给水度显著减小.给水度的大小与地下水位埋深、排水时间、岩土颗粒和潜水面附近及之上非均质结构等因素有关.