Cold water tracing; Heat tracer; density-viscosity dependent; transport modeling; temperature; weathered/fractured granite
Abstract :
[en] Heat as a tracer in fractured porous aquifers is more sensitive to fracture-matrix processes than a solute tracer. Temperature
evolution as a function of time can be used to differentiate fracture and matrix characteristics. Experimental hot (50 ◦C) and cold
(10 ◦C) water injections were performed in a weathered and fractured granite aquifer where the natural background temperature
is 30 ◦C. The tailing of the hot and cold breakthrough curves, observed under different hydraulic conditions, was characterized
in a log–log plot of time vs. normalized temperature difference, also converted to a residence time distribution (normalized).
Dimensionless tail slopes close to 1.5 were observed for hot and cold breakthrough curves, compared to solute tracer tests showing
slopes between 2 and 3. This stronger thermal diffusive behavior is explained by heat conduction. Using a process-based numerical
model, the impact of heat conduction toward and from the porous rock matrix on groundwater heat transport was explored. Fracture
aperture was adjusted depending on the actual hydraulic conditions. Water density and viscosity were considered temperature
dependent. The model simulated the increase or reduction of the energy level in the fracture-matrix system and satisfactorily
reproduced breakthrough curves tail slopes. This study shows the feasibility and utility of cold water tracer tests in hot fractured
aquifers to boost and characterize the thermal matrix diffusion from the matrix toward the flowing groundwater in the fractures.
This can be used as complementary information to solute tracer tests that are largely influenced by strong advection in the fractures
Disciplines :
Geological, petroleum & mining engineering
Author, co-author :
Hoffmann, Richard ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Form. doct. sc. ingé. & techn. (archi., gén. civ. - paysage)
Maréchal, Jean-Christophe; BRGM > University of Montpellier, France > G-eau, UMR 183, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, AgroParisTech, Supagro, BRGM
Selles, Adrien; BRGM > University of Montpellier, France > G-eau, UMR 183, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, AgroParisTech, Supagro, BRGM, Indo-French Center for Groundwater Research, Hyderabad, India
Dassargues, Alain ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département ArGEnCo > Hydrogéologie & Géologie de l'environnement
Goderniaux, Pascal; University of Mons > Polytech Mons > Geology and Applied Geology
Language :
English
Title :
Heat Tracing in a Fractured Aquifer with Injection of Hot and Cold Water
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