Title:
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Modeling evaporation processes in a saline soil from saturation to oven dry conditions
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Author:
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Gran Esforzado, Meritxell; Carrera Ramírez, Jesús; Olivella Pastallé, Sebastià; Saaltink, Maarten Willem
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Other authors:
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Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament d'Enginyeria del Terreny, Cartogràfica i Geofísica; Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. GHS - Grup d'Hidrologia Subterrània; Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. MSR - Mecànica del Sòls i de les Roques |
Abstract:
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Thermal, suction and osmotic gradients interact during evaporation from a salty soil. Vapor fluxes become the main water flow mechanism under very dry conditions. A coupled nonisothermal multiphase flow and a reactive transport model of a salty sand soil was developed to study such an intricate system. The model was calibrated with data from an evaporation experiment (volumetric water content, temperature and concentration). The retention curve and relative permeability functions were modified to simulate oven dry conditions. Experimental observations were satisfactorily reproduced, which suggests that the model can be used to assess the underlying processes. Results show that evaporation is controlled by heat, and limited by salinity and liquid and vapor
fluxes. Below evaporation front vapor flows downwards controlled by temperature
gradient and thus generates a dilution. Vapor diffusion and dilution are strongly influenced by heat boundary conditions. Gas diffusion plays a major role in the magnitude
of vapor fluxes. |
Subject(s):
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-Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria civil::Geologia::Hidrologia subterrània -Reservoirs--Evaporation control -Evaporation control -Evaporació |
Rights:
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Document type:
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Article - Published version Article |
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