Mass transfer correlations for nonaqueous phase liquid dissolution from regions with high initial saturations

The application of existing correlations for nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) dissolution, which were developed in small, one‐dimensional columns, to larger‐scale, heterogeneous or multidimensional systems has shown the predicted dissolution behavior depends greatly on the correlation used. Variation among existing correlations is due to the system scale, NAPL‐water interfacial area, and the nature of mass transfer or hydrodynamic mechanisms that are lumped in the correlation. In this paper, new mass transfer correlation is developed using NAPL dissolution data from a small 2‐D experimental cell that contained a well‐characterized heterogeneous distribution of grain sizes. The new correlation can be used for quantifying NAPL dissolution rates over a wide range of NAPL saturations and aqueous phase velocities within the NAPL source zone. When incorporated in a finite difference transport model, the correlation provides reasonably good predictions for systems with initially high NAPL saturations that are then reduced through the dissolution process. It is shown that NAPL dissolution is slower in this case due to the larger amorphous blobs that result from preferential flow and dissolution pathways. These large blobs have significantly less surface area in comparison with small discrete blobs that result from capillary entrapment. In comparison with other published dissolution correlations, the slower mass transfer rate is characterized with a significantly higher exponent on the NAPL saturation term.

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