Numerical Modelling of Dissolving and Driving Exploitation of Potash Salt in the Qarhan Playa ? A Coupled Model of Reactive Solute Transport and Chemical Equilibrium in a Multi-component Underground Brine System

Firstly, the macroscopic chemical equilibrium state of a series of chemical reactions between intercrystal brine and its media salt layer （salt deposit） in Qarhan Salt Lake was studied by using the Pitzer theory. The concept of macroscopic solubility product and its relation with accumulated ore dissolving ratio were presented, which are used in the numerical model of dissolving and driving exploitation of potassium salt in Qarhan Salt Lake. And secondly, with a model forming idea of transport model for reacting solutes in the multi-component fresh groundwater system in porous media being a reference, a two-dimensional transport model coupled with a series of chemical reactions in a multi-component brine porous system （salt deposits） was developed by using the Pitzer theory. Meanwhile, the model was applied to model potassium/magnesium transport in Qarhan Salt Lake in order to study the transfer law of solid and liquid phases in the dissolving and driving process and to design the optimal injection/abstraction strategy for dissolving and capturing maximum Potassium/ Magnesium in the mining of salt deposits in Qarhan Salt Lake.     

察尔汗盐湖单级与增程驱动溶解固体钾矿试验对比研究

钾盐是一种重要的战略矿产资源,为了合理开发利用察尔汗盐湖的低品位钾矿,在察尔汗盐湖开展了两次野外现场溶矿试验。本文以两次野外现场试验监测数据为基础,对比分析了两次野外溶矿试验的等水位线图、水位剖面曲线、典型孔位与典型剖面的K~+浓度变化,各项指标表明,增程驱动溶矿模式达到了预期试验目的,其溶矿效果优于单级驱动溶矿模式。     

Numerical Modeling and Spatial Moment Analysis of Solute Mobility and Spreading in a Coupled Fracture-Skin-Matrix System

This study deals with transport of solutes through a saturated sub-surface rock formation with well-defined horizontal parallel fractures. For this purpose, a simplified conceptual model consisting of a single fracture and its associated rock-matrix is considered in the presence of a fracture-skin in order to study the mobility and mixing of solutes along the fracture. In this paper, a coupled fracture-skin-matrix system is modeled numerically using finite difference method in a pseudo two-dimensional domain with a constant continuous source at fracture inlet. Flow and transport processes are considered parallel to the fracture axis, while the transport processes in fracture-skin as well as in rock-matrix are considered perpendicular to the fracture axis. Having obtained the concentration distribution along the fracture, method of spatial moments is employed to study the mobility and spreading of solutes. Sensitivity analyses have been done to understand the effect of various fracture-skin parameters like porosity, thickness, and diffusion coefficient. Further, the influence of non-linear sorption and radioactive decaying of solutes are carried out for different sorption intensities and decay constants. Results suggest that the presence of fracture-skin significantly influences the mobility and spreading of solutes along the fracture in comparison with a coupled fracture-matrix system without fracture-skin.     

康定-老榆林地热系统氢氧同位素迁移数值模拟分析

以康定老榆林地区地热系统为研究对象,利用TOUGH-Isotope程序进行水-热-同位素耦合数值模拟,并鉴于研究区大气降水氢氧同位素季节性明显、地震活动活跃,探讨了补给水同位素特征、热储层渗透性变化对地热系统氢氧同位素迁移过程的影响.研究结果表明氢氧同位素模拟值与研究区ZK3钻孔流出水测试值基本拟合,高温地热系统的对流...     

Modelling Transport of Linearly Sorbing Solutes in a Single Fracture: Asymptotic Behavior of Solute Velocity and Dispersivity

The asymptotic behavior of the solute velocity and dispersivity for a system of parallel fractures with matrix diffusion is made using numerical modeling and theoretical analyses. The study is limited to linearly sorbing solutes with a constant continuous source boundary condition. Expressions are provided for solute velocity and effective dispersivity in terms of fracture porosity during asymptotic stage using spatial moment analyses. The importance of matrix porosity and fracture porosity on solute velocity as well as the relationship governing effective dispersivity and fracture porosity is discussed for both non-reactive and linearly sorbing solutes. By using a dimensionless effective dispersivity parameter it is shown that the relationship between the fracture porosity and dimensionless effective dispersivity is linear for non-reactive solutes. It is also shown that this holds true for the linearly sorbing solutes with the same proportionality constant.     

粘性土壤溶质运移新模型的应用

将Moldrup等提出的模拟水流和溶质运移的运动平均斜率模型和运动浓度斜率模型联合,模拟了重粘土在入渗和蒸发条件下的水盐动态并与特征-有限差分数值模型的计算结果进行了比较。在模拟过程中新模型显示出更加高效的优点,这对粘性土壤地区盐渍化趋势的长期预报具有重要的实际意义。     

Sensitivity Analysis of a Combined Groundwater Flow and Solute Transport Model Using Local-Grid Refinement: A Case Study

Combining groundwater flow models with solute transport models represents a common challenge in groundwater resources assessments and contaminant transport modeling. Groundwater flow models are usually constructed at somewhat larger scales (involving a coarser discretization) to include natural boundary conditions. They are commonly calibrated using observed groundwater levels and flows (if available). The groundwater solute transport models may be constructed at a smaller scale with finer discretization than the flow models in order to accurately delineate the solute source and the modeled target, to capture any heterogeneity that may affect contaminant migration, and to minimize numerical dispersion while still maintaining a reasonable computing time. The solution that is explored here is based on defining a finer grid subdomain within a larger coarser domain. The local-grid refinement (LGR) implemented in the Modular 3D finite-difference ground-water flow model (MODFLOW) code has such a provision to simulate groundwater flow in two nested grids: a higher-resolution sub-grid within a coarse grid. Under the premise that the interface between both models was well defined, a comprehensive sensitivity and uncertainty analysis was performed whereby the effect of a parameter perturbation in a coarser-grid model on transport predictions using a higher-resolution grid was quantified. This approach was tested for a groundwater flow and solute transport analysis in support of a safety evaluation of the future Belgian near-surface radioactive waste disposal facility. Our reference coarse-grid groundwater flow model was coupled with a smaller fine sub-grid model in two different ways. While the reference flow model was calibrated using observed groundwater levels at a scale commensurate with that of the coarse-grid model, the fine sub-grid model was used to run a solute transport simulation quantifying concentrations in a hypothetical well nearby the disposal facility. When LGR coupling was compared to a one-way coupling, LGR was found to provide a smoother flow solution resulting in a more CPU-efficient transport solution. Parameter sensitivities performed with the groundwater flow model resulted in sensitivities at the head observation locations. These sensitivities identified the recharge as the most sensitive parameter, with the hydraulic conductivity of the upper aquifer as the second most sensitive parameter in regard to calculated groundwater heads. Based on one-percent sensitivity maps, the spatial distribution of the observations with the highest sensitivities is slightly different for the upper aquifer hydraulic conductivity than for recharge. Sensitivity analyses were further performed to assess the prediction scaled sensitivities for hypothetical contaminant concentrations using the combined groundwater flow and solute transport models. Including all pertinent parameters into the sensitivity analysis identified the hydraulic conductivity of the upper aquifer as the most sensitive parameter with regard to the prediction of contaminant concentrations.     

A Brine Evolution Model and Mineralogy of Chemical Sediments in a Volcanic Crater,Lake Kitagata,Uganda

Lake Kitagata, Uganda, is a hypersaline crater lake with Na–SO₄–Cl–HCO₃–CO₃ chemistry, high pH and relatively small amounts of SiO₂. EQL/EVP, a brine evaporation equilibrium model (Risacher and Clement 2001), was used to model the major ion chemistry of the evolving brine and the order and masses of chemically precipitated sediments. Chemical sediments in a 1.6-m-long sediment core from Lake Kitagata occur as primary chemical mud (calcite, magadiite [NaSi₇O₁₃(OH)₃·3H₂O], burkeite [Na₆(CO₃)(SO₄)₂]) and as diagenetic intrasediment growths (mirabilite (Na₂SO₄·10H₂O)). Predicted mineral assemblages formed by evaporative concentration were compared with those observed in salt crusts along the shoreline and in the core from the lake center. Most simulations match closely with observed natural assemblages. The dominant inflow water, groundwater, plays a significant role in driving the chemical evolution of Lake Kitagata water and mineral precipitation sequences. Simulated evaporation of Lake Kitagata waters cannot, however, explain the large masses of magadiite found in cores and the formation of burkeite earlier in the evaporation sequence than predicted. The masses and timing of formation of magadiite and burkeite may be explained by past groundwater inflow with higher alkalinity and SiO₂ concentrations than exist today.     

Numerical Modeling and Spatial Moment Analysis of Thermal Fronts in a Coupled Fracture-Skin-Matrix System

In this study, the behavior of thermal fronts along the fracture is studied in the presence of fracture-skin in a coupled fracture-matrix system. Cold water is injected into the fracture, which advances gradually towards production well, while extracting heat from the surrounding reservoir matrix. The heat conduction into the fracture-skin and the rock-matrix from the high permeability fracture is assumed to be one dimensional perpendicular to the axis of fluid flow along the fracture. Constant temperature cold water is injected through an injection well at the fracture inlet. The fluid flow takes place along the horizontal fracture which ensures connectivity between the injection and production wells. Since the rock-matrix is assumed to be tight, the permeability of fracture-skin as well as the rock-matrix is neglected. The present study focuses on the heat flux transfer at the fracture-skin interface as against the earlier studies on fracture-matrix interface, and the sensitivity of additional heterogeneity in the form of fracture skin in a conventional fracture-matrix coupled system is studied. The behavior of thermal fronts for various thermal conductivity values of the fracture-skin and rock-matrix is analyzed. Spatial moment analysis is performed on the thermal distribution profiles resulting from numerical studies in order to investigate the impact on mobility and dispersion behavior of the fluid in the presence of fracture-skin. The presence of fracture skin affects the heat transfer significantly in the coupled fracture-matrix system. The lower order spatial moments indicate that the effective thermal velocity increases with increase in skin thermal conductivity and a significant thermal dispersion is observed at the inlet of the fracture owing to the high thermal conductivity of the fracture-skin at the early stages. Furthermore the higher spatial moments indicate that the asymmetricity increases with decrease in skin thermal conductivity unlike the case with half fracture aperture and fluid velocity and the kurtosis is maximum with higher skin thermal conductivity which implies enhanced heat extraction from the fracture-skin into the fracture. Results suggest that the amount of heat extraction by the circulating fluid within the fracture from the reservoir not only depends on the rock-matrix module of the reservoir characteristics but also the fracture-skin characteristics of the system and subsequently influence the reservoir efficiency.     

Coupled Numerical Evaluations of the Geomechanical Interactions Between a Hydraulic Fracture Stimulation and a Natural Fracture System in Shale Formations

Due to the low permeability of many shale reservoirs, multi-stage hydraulic fracturing in horizontal wells is used to increase the productive, stimulated reservoir volume. However, each created hydraulic fracture alters the stress field around it, and subsequent fractures are affected by the stress field from previous fractures. The results of a numerical evaluation of the effect of stress field changes (stress shadowing), as a function of natural fracture and geomechanical properties, are presented, including a detailed evaluation of natural fracture shear failure (and, by analogy, the generated microseismicity) due to a created hydraulic fracture. The numerical simulations were performed using continuum and discrete element modeling approaches in both mechanical-only and fully coupled, hydro-mechanical modes. The results show the critical impacts that the stress field changes from a created hydraulic fracture have on the shear of the natural fracture system, which in-turn, significantly affects the success of the hydraulic fracture stimulation. Furthermore, the results provide important insight into: the role of completion design (stage spacing) and operational parameters (rate, viscosity, etc.) on the possibility of enhancing the stimulation of the natural fracture network (‘complexity’); the mechanisms that generate the microseismicity that occurs during a hydraulic fracture stimulation; and the interpretation of the generated microseismicity in relation to the volume of stimulated reservoir formation.     

MT3D-通用的三维地下水污染物运移数值模型

定量研究污染物在地下水中的运移过程通常采用数值模拟方法。MT3D是一套基于有限差分方法的污染物运移模拟软件，近年来在国外水文地质和水环境模拟等领域的研究中已经得到较为广泛的认可。MT3D比较全面地考虑了污染物在地下水中的对流、弥散和化学反应等过程，可以灵活处理各种复杂的源汇项和边界条件，能够准确模拟承压、无压和越流含水层中的污染物运移过程。MT3D具有模块化的程序结构、灵活的求解方法以及全面的模拟功能，非常适合实际问题的研究，值得在国内推广使用。     

信息系统和地下水流数值模型耦合研究

将地下水数值模型集成到信息系统中,形成一个动态评价和预测的水资源评价管理系统,有利于模型管理和使用,提高工作效率。信息系统与水流模型的耦合思路是以信息系统程序调用过程及数值模拟软件数据接口为基础,找出耦合关键点。模型更新数据如动态类源汇项数据、输出数据等需要明确离散文件格式、输入输出数据格式,开发相应数据接口。以实例实现信息系统内地下水模型的更新并进行结果显示,该方法可为政府部门更好地管理地下水资源提供技术支撑。     

Design of a Displacement Monitoring System Based on Optical Grating and Numerical Verification in Geomechanical Model Test of Water Leakage of Tunnel

The displacement monitoring of surrounding rock is necessary in geomechanical model test. However, traditional monitoring technology is difficult to meet the needs of displacement monitoring in small geological model tests. To solve the problems mentioned above, the authors developed a multi-point displacement monitoring system based on optical grating including multi-point extensometer, grating scale and multi-channel data acquisition system. Firstly, 3D anchor head with six barbs is designed and connected to the grating ruler by the steel wire, which proved to be rather sensitive to the rock deformation. Additionally, the displacement data collected can be transformed into electrical signal, which can be obtained by multi-channel acquisition system. Finally, the system was used in the model test of tunnel water leakage. The designed anchors were pre-embedded in some key monitoring points around the section in order to investigate measurement of displacements in the lining during the loading of geostress and hydraulic pressure. Afterward, FLAC^3D, the finite-difference method, is adopted to simulate the whole process of physical model test and to compare with the experimental results. The results show that the experimental data was in good agreement with the numerical simulation results. In conclusion, the multi-point displacement monitoring system based on optical grating has higher precision and can be widely used in the physical model test of geotechnical engineering.     

Experimental and Modelling Approaches for the Assessment of Chemical Impacts of Leachate Migration from Landfills: A Case Study of a Site on the Triassic Sandstone Aquifer in the UK East Midlands

Current risk-based methods for assessing the effects of landfill leachate migration on groundwater resources are conservative and generalised. Cost-effective and practical strategies are required which can robustly determine the potential for contaminant attenuation on a site-specific basis. In this paper laboratory column experiments and reactive transport modelling are evaluated as a combined approach for assessing the chem’ical impact of leachate migration in the Triassic Sandstone aquifer. The results are compared with field data for a landfill in the East Midlands. Columns of aquifer sandstone were flushed sequentially with groundwater, followed by acetogenic or methanogenic leachate to simulate chemical interactions occurring during leachate loading episodes. The key contaminants in leachate (NH₄, heavy metals, organic fractions) were attenuated by ion exchange, redox reactions, sorption and degradation. These processes produce a consistent hydrochemical signature which may help identify the extent of leachate migration in the aquifer. The laboratory results largely replicate those found in the field system, and the behaviour of inorganic contaminants during leachate flushing of the aquifer columns can be described by the reactive transport model. The experimental and modelling approach presented represents a powerful tool for risk assessment and prediction of leachate contaminant fate at unlined and lined landfills.