Reactive transport modeling of redox processes to assess Fe(OH)3 precipitation around aquifer thermal energy storage wells in phreatic aquifers

Possemiers, Mathias; Huysmans, Marijke; Anibas, Christian; Batelaan, Okke; Steenwinkel, Jos Van

doi:10.1007/s12665-016-5398-7

Cited by 13 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…and (2) indicates that a rapid rate of chemical change, consistent with clogging observations, can take place primarily where previously accumulated HFO and HMO are available for reaction ( Figure 5). Initial simulations indicate that simple mixing combined with homogeneous (autocatalytic) Fe II oxidation, including microbial catalysis, has a negligible effect on Fe II and Mn II attenuation during the few minutes that water is retained in the well and pumping system ( Figure SI.5A-5B).…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 68%

“…buildings. Yet, the major issue associated with shallow geothermal doublets is the clogging of wells, exchangers, filters and other surface equipment by "biofouling" deposits that consist of mineral [2][3][4][5] and microbial [6][7][8][9] encrustations. Guaranteeing the sustainability of a groundwater heat pump system is challenging because of the rapidity at which such biofouling may appear, during the first year of exploitation in some cases observed by the authors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Iron and manganese oxide (bio)mineralization is the most common cause of clogging encountered in water systems supplied by groundwater [21][22][23] . These clogging deposits form when anoxic groundwater containing dissolved iron (Fe II ) and manganese (Mn II ) mixes with water containing oxygen 2 or, possibly, nitrate 24 (Equations 1-7).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…rich in O2, NO3 -) and reducing condition (i.e. rich in Fe 2+ , Mn 2+ ) at different depths or spatially 2 . Despite the suspected role of mixing-induced biogeochemical reactions in clogging phenomena, field evidence demonstrating the impact is sparse [32][33][34] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Kinetic Study on Clogging of a Geothermal Pumping Well Triggered by Mixing-Induced Biogeochemical Reactions

Burté

Cravotta

Béthencourt

et al. 2019

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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The sustainability of ground-source geothermal systems can be severely impacted by microbially mediated clogging processes. Biofouling of water wells by hydrous ferric oxide is a widespread problem. Although the mechanisms and critical environmental factors associated with clogging development are widely recognized, effects of mixing processes within the wells and time scales for clogging processes are not well characterized. Here we report insights from a joint hydrological, geochemical and metagenomics characterization of a geothermal doublet in which hydrous ferric oxide and hydrous manganese oxide deposits had formed as a consequence of mixing shallow groundwater containing dissolved oxygen and nitrate with deeper, anoxic groundwater containing dissolved iron (Fe II) and manganese (Mn II). Metagenomics identify distinct bacteria consortia in the pumping well oxic and anoxic zones, including autotrophic ironoxidizing bacteria. Batch mixing experiments and geochemical kinetics modeling of the associated reactions indicate that Fe II and Mn II oxidation are slow compared the residence time of water in the pumping well; however, adsorption of Fe II and Mn II by accumulated hydrous ferric oxide and hydrous manganese oxide in the well bore and pump riser provides "infinite" time for surfacecatalyzed oxidation and a convenient source of energy for iron-oxidizing bacteria, which colonize the surfaces and also catalyze oxidation. Thus, rapid clogging is caused by mixing-induced redox reactions and is exacerbated by microbial activity on accumulated hydrous oxide surfaces.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 68%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Kinetic Study on Clogging of a Geothermal Pumping Well Triggered by Mixing-Induced Biogeochemical Reactions

Burté

Cravotta

Béthencourt

et al. 2019

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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“…Mixing interfaces, which are naturally present in coastal aquifers and hyporheic zones beneath rivers, are thus known to be reactive hot spots for biogeochemical processes (Appelo & Postma, 2004;Boano et al, 2014;McClain et al, 2003). Mixing fronts are also created when injecting fluids in the subsurface, Geophysical Research Letters 10.1002/2017GL076445 such as in CO 2 sequestration, geothermal doublets, aquifer remediation, or artificial recharge operations, which leads to a range of biogeochemical reactions that may affect the feasibility and sustainability of these activities (Hidalgo et al, 2015;Kitanidis & McCarty, 2012;Possemiers et al, 2016). The development of relevant mixing models has led to significant advances in the quantification of mixing rates (Chiogna et al, 2012;Cirpka & Kitanidis, 2000;Kitanidis, 1994;Le Borgne et al, 2010), how to relate them to medium heterogeneity at different scales (de Barros et al, 2012;Le Borgne et al, 2015Lester et al, 2013;Ye et al, 2015) and how to predict their impact on biogeochemical reaction rates (Bandopadhyay et al, 2017;Cirpka et al, 2008;de Anna, Dentz, et al, 2014;de Anna, Jimenez-Martinez, et al, 2014;Engdahl et al, 2014;Le Borgne et al, 2014;Luo et al, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geoelectrical Signatures of Reactive Mixing: A Theoretical Assessment

Ghosh

Borgne

Jougnot

et al. 2018

Geophysical Research Letters

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Characterizing the effects of subsurface fluid mixing on biogeochemical reactions is a key step toward monitoring and understanding a range of processes and applications in which fluids of different chemical compositions mix, such as aquifer remediation, CO2 sequestration, or groundwater‐surface water interactions. Yet the development of noninvasive methods to monitor mixing processes remains an outstanding challenge. Mixing processes are controlled by concentration gradients that develop at scales below the spatial resolution of hydrogeophysical imaging techniques. To overcome this difficulty, we propose to focus on the geoelectrical response of mixing‐driven chemical reactions, for which the products are electrically more conductive than the background solution. For such reactions, we investigate the impact of reactive mixing on the resulting effective electrical conductivity. The transport equations are solved using the Lamellar Mixing Theory for a range of velocity gradients representative of the stretching rates experienced by mixing fronts in heterogeneous porous media. Focusing on simple shear flows, we demonstrate that such reactions may result in substantial changes (several orders of magnitude) in the effective conductivity over time, thus providing geoelectrical signatures of reactive mixing dynamics. The temporal evolution of the effective conductivity depends on the relative orientations of the applied electrical potential gradient, mean flow, and velocity gradient, yielding different sensitivities to dispersion processes, stretching rates, and reaction kinetics. These results suggest that the use of chemical reactions with electrically conductive products could help to overcome present limitations of time‐lapse geophysical imaging in the monitoring of the spatiotemporal dynamics of subsurface reactive mixing processes.

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How to avoid gas clogging in groundwater heat pump systems: a case study from the Lena terrasse system in Melhus, Norway

Stenvik

Gjengedal

Ramstad

et al. 2022

Bull Eng Geol Environ

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Vacuum pressures are unfavorable in water pipes since they pose a risk to degassing dissolved gases from the water and air in-leakage. If the water flow rate through the pipeline is too low, gas bubbles will rise to local high points and create stagnant gas pockets. Gas pockets may clog both directly by obstructing the flow cross-section and indirectly by disturbing chemical equilibria. Gas clogging in the Lena terrasse groundwater heat pump system (GWHP) in Melhus, Norway, has been investigated by pressure, temperature, groundwater flow rate, and pump power consumption monitoring data. The GWHP extracts groundwater through a production well, leads it to a heat exchanger at the terrain level, and then re-injects the water through an injection well. It thus operates as a siphon which is prone to vacuum pressures. Analytical tools adapted from hydraulic engineering have been used to identify vacuum pressures and insufficient pipe flow rates to remove gas pockets in the Lena terrasse GWHP. Monitoring data shows that incrustation induced pressure build-up in the injection well filter does not impact the pump production capacity. This indicates gravity driven waterfall flow from the heat exchanger to the injection well, caused by stagnant gas pockets. It is recommended to install a backpressure valve at the end of the injection pipe or multiple narrow injection pipes inside the injection well, and air release valves at the local high points, to ensure the system is kept pressurized and water-filled. The extra required pumping head will approximately equal the overpressure criterion (e.g., 0.5 bar) set at the pressure minimum in the groundwater circuit, which introduces quite modest extra pumping costs per year.

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Reactive transport modeling of redox processes to assess Fe(OH)3 precipitation around aquifer thermal energy storage wells in phreatic aquifers

Cited by 13 publications

References 47 publications

Kinetic Study on Clogging of a Geothermal Pumping Well Triggered by Mixing-Induced Biogeochemical Reactions

Kinetic Study on Clogging of a Geothermal Pumping Well Triggered by Mixing-Induced Biogeochemical Reactions

Geoelectrical Signatures of Reactive Mixing: A Theoretical Assessment

How to avoid gas clogging in groundwater heat pump systems: a case study from the Lena terrasse system in Melhus, Norway

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