Numerical Investigation on the Benefits of Preheating for an Increased Thermal Radius of Influence During Steam Injection in Saturated Soil

Abstract

The injection of steam is a well-established technique for the thermally enhanced remediation of both unsaturated and saturated soils. Under saturated conditions, there is a limitation related to the thermal radius of influence (TRI) which results from the balance between viscous forces due to injection and buoyant forces due to the density difference between steam and water. Targeted preheating of the soil reduces the required time for a gaseous (steam) flow to be established after the beginning of a steam injection into the soil. Compared to non-preheated zones, the region where steam exists reaches a larger lateral extent before buoyancy eventually leads to a vertical breakthrough of the steam. This study investigates the impacts of preheating on the thermal radius of influence by considering different preheating scenarios with a full-complexity, 3D, non-isothermal numerical model including phase change. The achievable benefits of preheating are discussed; the potential costs of preheating are also considered. It is shown that preheating increases the TRI by more than 10 %. This is not much, but it suggests that preheating is an interesting option in cases where the increased TRI leads to a reduced number of injection wells required.