Te. Johnson et Dk. Kreamer, PHYSICAL AND MATHEMATICAL-MODELING OF DIESEL FUEL LIQUID AND VAPOR MOVEMENT IN POROUS-MEDIA, Ground water, 32(4), 1994, pp. 551-560
Two-dimensional physical modeling of diesel fuel leaks was conducted i
n sand tanks to determine liquid and vapor migration characteristics.
Mathematical modeling provided estimation of vapor concentrations at d
iscrete times and distances from the vapor source and was compared to
the physical experiment. The mathematical gaseous diffusion model was
analogous to the Theis equation for ground-water flow, accounted for s
orptive effects of the media, and was calibrated using measured concen
trations from the sand tank. Mathematically different positions of the
vapor source were tested to better relate observed liquid flow rates
and media configuration to gaseous concentrations. The calculated diff
usion parameters were then used to estimate theoretical, three-dimensi
onal vapor transport from a hypothetical liquid leak of 2.0 1/hr for 3
0 days. The associated three-dimensional vapor plume, which would be r
easonably detectable by commercially available vadose zone monitors, w
as estimated to have a diameter of 8 m with a vapor concentration of 5
0 ppm at the outside edge of the vapor plume. A careful application of
the method and values can be used to give a first approximation to th
e number of vapor monitors required at a field site as well as the opt
imal locations for the monitors.