Clogging caused by coupled grain migration and compaction effect during groundwater recharge for unconsolidated sandstone reservoir in groundwater-source heat pump

In unconsolidated sandstone reservoirs,presence of numerous movable grains and a complex grain size composition necessitates a clear understanding of the physical clogging process for effective groundwater recharge in groundwater-source heat pump systems.To investigate this,a series of seepage experiments was conducted under in situ stress conditions using unconsolidated sandstone samples with varying grain compositions.The clogging phenomenon arises from the combined effects of grain migration and compaction,wherein the migration of both original and secondary crushed fine-grain particles blocks the seepage channels.Notably,grain composition influences the migration and transport properties of the grains.For samples composed of smaller grains,the apparent permeability demonstrates a transition from stability to decrease.In contrast,samples with larger grains experience a skip at the stability stage and directly enter the decrease stage,with a minor exception of a slight increase observed.Furthermore,a unique failure mode characterized by diameter shrinkage in the upper part of the sample is observed due to the combined effects of grain migration and in situ stress-induced compaction.These testing results contribute to a better understanding of the clogging mechanism caused by the coupled effects of grain migration and compaction during groundwater recharge in unconsolidated sandstone reservoirs used in groundwater-source heat pump systems.

Consolidation of high replacement ratio stone column-reinforced ground:Analytical solutions incorporating clogging effect

The utilization of stone columns has emerged as a popular ground improvement strategy,whereas the drainage performance can be adversely hampered by clogging effect.Despite the ample progress of calculation methods for the consolidation of stone column-improved ground,theoretical investigations into the clogging effect have not been thoroughly explored.Furthermore,it is imperative to involve the column consolidation deformation to mitigate computational error on the consolidation of composite ground with high replacement ratios.In this context,an analytical model accounting for the initial clogging and coupled time and depth-dependent clogging of stone columns is established.Then,the resulting governing equations and analytical solutions are obtained under a new flow continuity relationship to incorporate column consolidation deformation.The accuracy and reliability of the proposed model are illustrated by degradation analysis and case studies with good agreements.Subsequently,the computed results of the current study are juxtaposed against the existing models,and an in-depth assessment of the impacts of several crucial parameters on the consolidation behavior is conducted.The results reveal that ignoring column consolidation deformation leads to an overestimate of the consolidation rate,with maximum error reaching up to 16%as the replacement ratio increases.Furthermore,the initial clogging also has a significant influence on the consolidation performance.Additionally,the increment of depth and time-clogging factors a and b will induce a noticeable retardation of the consolidation process,particularly in the later stage.

Flow-Induced Clogging in Microfiltration Membranes: Numerical Modeling and Parametric Study

Microfiltration membrane technology has been widely used in various industries for solid-liquid separation. However, pore clogging remains a persistent challenge. This study employs (CFD) and discrete element method (DEM) models to enhance our understanding of microfiltration membrane clogging. The models were validated by comparing them to experimental data, demonstrating reasonable consistency. Subsequently, a parametric study was conducted on a cross-flow model, exploring the influence of key parameters on clogging. Findings show that clogging is a complex phenomenon affected by various factors. The mean inlet velocity and transmembrane flux were found to directly impact clogging, while the confinement ratio and cosine of the membrane pore entrance angle had an inverse relationship with it. Two clog types were identified: internal (inside the pore) and external (arching at the pore entrance), with the confinement ratio determining the type. This study introduced a dimensionless number as a quantitative clogging indicator based on transmembrane flux, Reynolds number, filtration time, entrance angle cosine, and confinement ratio. While this hypothesis held true in simulations, future studies should explore variations in clogging indicators, and improved modeling of clogging characteristics. Calibration between numerical and physical times and consideration of particle volume fraction will enhance understanding.

On the critical particle size of soil with clogging potential in shield tunneling

Shield tunneling is easily obstructed by clogging in clayey strata with small soil particles.However,soil clogging rarely occurs in strata with coarse-grained soils.Theoretically,a critical particle size of soils should exist,below which there is a high risk of soil clogging in shield tunneling.To determine the critical particle size,a series of laboratory tests was carried out with a large-scale rotary shear apparatus to measure the tangential adhesion strength of soils with different particle sizes and water contents.It was found that the tangential adhesion strength at the soilesteel interface gradually increased linearly with applied normal pressure.When the particle size of the soil specimen was less than 0.15 mm,the interfacial adhesion force first increased and then decreased as the water content gradually increased;otherwise,the soil specimens did not manifest any interfacial adhesion force.The amount of soil mass adhering to the steel disc was positively correlated with the interfacial adhesion force,thus the interfacial adhesion force was adopted to characterize the soil clogging risk in shield tunneling.The critical particle size of soils causing clogging was determined to be 0.15 mm.Finally,the generation mechanism of interfacial adhesion force was explored for soils with different particle sizes to explain the critical particle size of soil with clogging risk in shield tunneling.

Scaling and clogging treatment of aging tunnel drainage pipes in karst areas using eco-friendly acid agent

In karst areas,the drainage pipes of aging tunnels are prone to be clogged by precipitated carbonates,resulting in lining cracking and tunnel leaking.As a result,not only the driving safety will be deteriorated,but also the water pressure on the lining might also be elevated significantly.For the structural stability and service lifespan of old tunnels,it is of great importance to remove these precipitated carbonates in time.Traditional treatment methods are often destructive to some extent or not efficient enough.This study aims to experimentally develop an eco-friendly acid-based chemical cleaning method to remove carbonate precipitations efficiently.The proposed chemical cleaning agent is an aqueous solution with strong acidity,consisting of sulfamic acid,water,and additives.The factors affecting the cleaning efficiency include the acid solubility,temperature and flow rate of the cleaning agent,as well as additives.Elevating the solution temperature to 50
C or a flow rate of no less than 0.2 m/s can improve cleaning efficiency.Although the salt effect cannot work,1 wt%of polymaleic acid as a surfactant could further promote the cleaning rate.The cleaning efficiency will increase with the flow rate in a power function.The relatively low flow rate that improves the cleaning rate considerably can avoid highpressure-induced mechanical damage to tunnel drainpipes.The waste could be easily treated to acceptable levels using commercial sewage treatment products and can also be recycled in agriculture.With the chemical cleaning,the water pressure at the arch springing of the lining will reduce with the increased radius of transverse drainpipes in a power function.The proposed acid-based cleaning method,which is highly efficient,non-or low-destructive to aging tunnels,sufficiently safe for humans,and friendly enough to the environment,will offer a promising alternative to remove the precipitated carbonates in tunnel drainpipes efficiently.

Flow and clogging in a horizontal silo with a rotary obstacle

The external perturbation applied to a silo and the placement of an immobile obstacle before an exit are two common and effective ways to diminish clogging in the hopper/silo flow.Here,we incorporate the local perturbation into a fixed obstacle,and experimentally explore the effects of a rotary obstacle on clogging and the flowing characteristics in the horizontal silo flow driven by a conveyor belt.Even with a low spin rate,the total blocking probability that a particle constructs a stable blocking arch with its neighbors significantly drops.Correspondingly,the average flow rate of the particles through the exit abruptly rises,at least 1 order of magnitude better than that with an immobile obstacle and approaching the flow rate of continuous flow.The rotation enhances the breakage of clogging arches,which is responsible for improving the flowability in the horizontal silo.In addition,there always exists an optimal obstacle position at which the total blocking probability is minimal and the average flow rate peaks,regardless of the spin rate.Finally,clogging is relieved with the increase of the driving velocity of the conveyor belt,showing a“fast is fast”effect that is opposite to the“fast is slow”effect in other systems such as crowd evacuation and gravity-driven hoppers.

Column test-based features analysis of clogging in artificial recharge of groundwater in Beijing

With the completion of South-North Water Transfer Project in China, plenty of high quality water will be transported to Beijing. To restore the groundwater level in Beijing, part of transferred water is planned to be used for artificial recharge. Clogging is an unavoidable challenge in the artificial recharge process. Therefore, a test is designed to analyse clogging duration and scope of influence and to test the reinjection properties of different recharge media. The test employs the self-designed sand column system with variable spacing and section monitoring, composed of four parts: Sand column, water-supply system, pressure-test system and flow-test system, to simulate the clogging of artificial recharge of sand and gravel pits. The hydraulic conductivity levels of all sand column sections are obtained to analyse the clogging of the injection of different concentrations in media of different particle sizes. In this experiment, two kinds of media are used–round gravel from sand and gravel pit in Xihuang village and the sand from sand and gravel pit by the Yongding River. The concentrations of recharge fluid are respectively 0.5 g/L and 1 g/L. The results show that clogging usually lasts for 20 hrs., and the hydraulic conductivity drops to the original 10%. Clogging usually occurs at 0–12 cm section of the sand column. The scope of influence is 0–60 cm. In column 3 and 4, whose average particle sizes are larger, section 20–50 cm also suffers from clogging, apart from section 0–12 cm. The effective recharge times are respectively 33 hrs. in column 1, 14 hrs. in column 2, 12 hrs. in column 3 and 12 hrs. in column 4. The larger the average particle size is, the quicker the clogging occurs. In media of larger particles, the change in suspension concentration does not have significant influence on the development of clogging. In conclusion, it is suggested that during artificial recharge, the conditions of reinjection medium should be fully considered and effective method of recharge be employed in order to improve effective recharge time.

Clogging processes caused by biofilm growth and organic particle accumulation in lab-scale vertical flow constructed wetlands

The accumulation of organic matter in substratum pores is regarded as an important factor causing clogging separately in the subsurface flow constructed wetlands.In this study,the developing process of clogging caused by biofilm growth or organic particle accumulation instead of total organic matter accumulation was investigated in two groups of lab-scale vertical flow constructed wetlands（VFCWs）,which were fed with glucose（dissolved organic matter） and starch（particulate organic matter） influent.Results showed that the growth of biofilms within the substratum pores certainly caused remarkable reduction of effective porosity,especially for the strong organic wastewater,whereas its influence on infiltration rate was negligible.It was implied that the most important contribution of biofilm growth to clogging was accelerating the occurrence of clogging.In comparison with biofilm growth,particles accumulation within pores could rapidly reduce infiltration rate besides effective porosity and the clogging occurred in the upper 0-15 cm layer.With approximately equal amount of accumulated organic matter,the effective porosity of the clogged layer in starch-fed systems was far less than that of glucose-fed systems,which indicated that composition and accumulation mode in addition to the amount of the accumulated organic matter played an important role in causing clogging.

Clogging behavior of submerged entry nozzles for Ti-bearing IF steel

The nozzle clogging behavior of Ti-bearing IF steel was studied by metallographic analysis,scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, energy dispersive spectroscopy（EDS）,and X-ray diffraction（XRD）.According to the experimental results,nozzle clogging primarily appears three layers.There are a lot of large-sized iron particles in the inner layer and mainly slag phase in the middle and outer layers.The principal clog constituents of the inner layer are loose alumina cluster inclusions and granular shaped alumina inclusions,containing iron particles. The clog constituents of the middle layer are mainly dendrite alumina inclusions.The primary phases existing in nozzle clogging are FeO·TiO2 and FeO·Al2O3 besidesα-Al2O3 and a-Fe.The FeO·TiO2 phases among the deposits adhere the deposits together firmly enough to lead to the inferior castability of Ti-bearing ultra low carbon steel compared with that of Ti-free low carbon Al-killed steel.

Tomato Yield and Quality and Emitter Clogging as Affected by Chlorination Schemes of Drip Irrigation Systems Applying Sewage Effluent

Chlorination has been recognized as an efficient and economically favorable method for treating clogging in drip emitters caused by biological growth during sewage application. Further important criteria for determining an optimal chlorination scheme are the different responses of crops to the chloride added into the soil through chlorination. During two seasons in 2008 and 2009, field experiments were conducted in a solar-heated greenhouse with drip irrigation systems applying secondary sewage effluent to tomato plants to investigate the influences of chlorine injection intervals and levels on plant growth, yield, fruit quality, and emitter clogging. Injection intervals ranging from 2 to 8 wk and injection concentrations ranging 2-50 mg L-1 of free chlorine residual at the end of the laterals were used. For the 2008 experiments, the yield from the treatments of sewage application with chlorination was 7.5% lower than the yield from the treatment of sewage application without chlorination, while the yields for the treatments with and without chlorination were similar for the 2009 experiments. The statistical tests indicated that neither the chlorine injection intervals and concentrations nor the interactions between the two significantly influenced plant height, leaf area, or tomato yield for both years. The qualities of the fruit in response to chlorination were parameter-dependent. Chlorination did not significantly influence the quality of ascorbic acid, soluble sugar, or soluble acids, but the interaction between the chlorine injection interval and the chlorine concentration significantly influenced the levels of soluble solids. It was also confirmed that chlorination was an effective method for reducing biological clogging. These results suggested that chlorination is safe for a crop that has a moderate sensitivity to chlorine, like tomato, and can maintain a high level of performance in drip irrigation systems applying sewage effluent.

Biofilm structure and its influence on clogging in drip irrigation emitters distributing reclaimed wastewater

Using reclaimed wastewater for crop irrigation is a practical alternative to discharge wastewater treatment plant effluents into surface waters.However,biofouling has been identified as a major contributor to emitter clogging in drip irrigation systems distributing reclaimed wastewater.Little is known about the biofilm structure and its influence on clogging in the drip emitter flow path.This study was first to investigate the microbial characteristics of mature biofilms present in the emitters and the effect of flow path structures on the biofilm microbial communities.The analysis of biofilm matrix structure using a scanning electron microscopy（SEM） revealed that particles in the matrix of the biofilm coupled extracellular polysaccharides（EPS） and formed sediment in the emitter flow path.Analysis of biofilm mass including protein,polysaccharide,and phospholipid fatty acids（PLFAs） showed that emitter flow path style influenced biofilm community structure and diversity.The correlations of biofilm biomass and discharge reduction after 360 h irrigation were computed and suggest that PFLAs provide the best correlation coeffcient.Comparatively,the emitter with the unsymmetrical dentate structure and shorter flow path（Emitter C） had the best anti-clogging capability.By optimizing the dentate structure,the internal flow pattern within the flow path could be enhanced as an important method to control the biofilm within emitter flow path.This study established electron microscope techniques and biochemical microbial analysis methods that may provide a framework for future emitter biofilm studies.

Effect of drip irrigation method, nitrogen source, and flushing schedule on emitter clogging

Field experiments were carried out at the National Research Center farm, Nubaria area, Behura Governorate, Egypt, to study the effect of nitrogen source, flushing schedule and irrigation method on emitter clogging. Peanut Giza 5 variety (Arachishy pogaea L.) was planted in sandy soil during two successive growing seasons (2010-2011) in the 1st week of May and harvested after 130 days. Treatments used are: 1) two irrigation methods: surface drip irrigation and sub-surface drip irrigation (SDI;SSDI), 2) nitrogen source (NS):NH4NO3, (NH4)2SO4 and Ca(NO3)2 (NS1, NS2 and NS3) and 3) flushing number (FL) 0, 1 and 4 (FL1, FL2;FL3). The experiments design was split-split plot and three replicates were used. Data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis. The main effects of treatments used on clogging per cent could be written the following ascending orders: SDI 3 2 1, NS1 2 3. Concerning the 1st interaction the following ascending orders denote their effects on clogging percent: SDI × FL3 2 1, SDI × NS1 2 3, SSDI × FL3 2 1, SSDI × NS1 2 3, FL1 × NS1 1 × NS2 1 × NS3, FL2 × NS1 2 × NS2 2 × NS3 and FL3 × NS1 3 × NS2 3 × NS3. The differences between any two treatments and/or any two interactions in clogging percent were significant at the 5% level. The effect of the 2nd interaction on clogging percent was significant at the 5% level. The maximum value of clogging (20.18%) and the lowest one (3.9%) were archived in the interactions: SSDI × FL1 × NS3 and SDI × FL3 × NS1, respectively.

Evaluating the Clogging Behavior of Pervious Concrete(PC)Using the Machine Learning Techniques

Pervious concrete(PC)is at risk of clogging due to the continuous blockage of sand into it during its service time.This study aims to evaluate and predict such clogging behavior of PC using hybrid machine learning techniques.Based on the 84 groups of the dataset developed in the earlier study,the clogging behavior of the PC was determined by the algorithm combing the SVM(support vector machines)and particle swarm optimization(PSO)methods.The PSO algorithm was employed to adjust the hyperparameters of the SVM and verify the performance using 10-fold cross-validation.The predicting results of the developed model were assessed by the coefficient of determination(R)and root mean square error(RMSE).The importance of the influential variables on the clogging behavior of PC was evaluated as well.The results showed that the PSO algorithm can effectively adjust the hyperparameters of the SVM model and can be used to construct the predictive model for the clogging behavior of the PC.The combined algorithm has the advantage of higher reliability and validity than the random hyperparameters selection.For the verification process,the developed model was able to obtain values of 0.9469 and 1.8148 for the R and RMSE,showing that the developed machine learning model can accurately be used to evaluate and predict the clogging behavior of the PC,guiding the mix-design of PC from the perspective of durability.The size of the clogging sand is the most important parameter and the thickness of the sample is the least significant factor affecting the clogging behavior.The proportions of the smallest aggregate size and largest aggregate size are the two most important design parameters of concrete with the consideration of the relatively higher importance scores,showing these two aggregates should be given special attention in future PC design for anti-clogging purposes.

Clogging mechanism in the process of reinjection of used geothermal water: A simulation research on Xianyang No.2 reinjection well in a super-deep and porous geothermal reservoir

In the process of geothermal exploitation and utilization, the reinjection amount of used geothermal water in super-deep and porous reservoir is small and significantly decreases over time. This has been a worldwide problem, which greatly restricts the exploitation and utilization of geothermal resources. Based on a large amount of experiments and researches, the reinjection research on the tail water of Xianyang No.2 well, which is carried out by combining the application of hydrogeochemical simulation, clogging mechanism research and the reinjection experiment, has achieved breakthrough results. The clogging mechanism and indoor simulation experiment results show: Factors affecting the tail water reinjection of Xianyang No.2 well mainly include chemical clogging, suspended solids clogging, gas clogging, microbial clogging and composite clogging, yet the effect of particle migration on clogging has not been found; in the process of reinjection, chemical clogging was mainly caused by carbonates(mainly calcite), silicates(mainly chalcedony), and a small amount of iron minerals, and the clogging aggravated when the temperature rose; suspended solids clogging also aggravated when the temperature rose, which showed that particles formed by chemical reaction had a certain proportion in suspended solids.

Three-dimensional clogging structures of granular spheres near hopper orifice

The characteristic clogging structures of granular spheres blocking three-dimensional granular flow through hopper outlet are analyzed based on packing structures reconstructed using magnetic resonance imaging techniques.Spheres in clogging structures are arranged in a way with typical features of load-bearing,such as more contacting bonds close to the horizontal plane and more mutually-stabilized contact configurations than packing structures away from the orifice.The requirement of load-bearing inevitably leads to the cooperativity of clogging structures with a correlation length of several particle diameters.This correlation length being comparable with the orifice diameter suggests that a clogging structure is composed of several mutually-stabilized structural motifs to span the orifice perimeter,instead of a collection of independent individual spheres to cover the whole orifice area.Accordingly,we propose a simple geometric model to explain the unexpected linear dependence of the average size of three-dimensional clogging structures on orifice diameter.

Effect of electromagnetic stirring on flow field in mold under submerged entry nozzle clogging

A physical model with mercury as analog was developed to investigate the influences of electromagnetic stirring（EMS） on flow field in slab continuous casting when the submerged entry nozzle（SEN） was clogged with different clogging rates（0,10% ,25% ,and 50% ）. The flow field in mold under different EMS currents（0, 40 A, and 60 A） was measured by an ultrasonic Doppler velocimeter. The results proved that the flow field in the mold was a typical double roll structure under non-clogging SEN. As the SEN clogging rate increased, the flow field structure was transformed from a double roll to asymmetry flow. When the clogging rate reached 50%, the up circulation disappeared on the clogged side. The zone under the meniscus near the narrow face was a non-flowing area. EMS could correct bias flow caused by SEN clogging and improve the symmetry of the flow field during SEN clogging.

Research Progress on Anti-clogging Technology of Submerged Entry Nozzles for Continuous Casting

The causes, the formation process, and the prevention of submerged entry nozzle(SEN) clogging were introduced. The influence of electric field on the SEN clogging was focused on, including the basic theory and measurement of SEN charging,the preliminary research on SEN charging, the influence of molten steel on the wetting behavior of refractory materials in electric field, and the influence of electric field on the oxide inclusions in molten steel. Based on the influence of the hydrodynamics, chemistry and other factors on refractory materials, structure, inclusion particle transfer and adhesion, many anti-clogging researches have been carried out, such as optimizing process conditions, compositing anti-clogging inner lining materials, innovating SEN structure and applying physical fields, which solve the problem of SEN clogging to a certain extent.However, the problems of weak adaptability and superficial study on clogging mechanism are still prominent. The electric field control is a new technology to prevent clogging. Although it has achieved certain results in on-site continuous casting trials,some problems such as the method of applying electric field, the electric field parameters and the equipment still need to be gradually improved, and the surface characteristics of inclusions and SEN materials at high temperatures need to be further studied. It was pointed out that the combination of materials and applied electric field will become an important direction for SEN anti-clogging technology.

Clogging mechanisms and preventive measures in artificial recharge systems

The study aims to identify a suitable site for open and bore well in a farmhouseusing ground magnetic survey in south India.It also aims to define depth to granitoid and structural elements which traverse the selected area.Magnetic data(n=84)measured,processed and interpreted as qualitative and quantitatively.The results of total magnetic intensities indicate that the area is composed of linear magnetic lows trending NE-SW direction and circular to semi-circular causative bodies.The magnetic values ranged from-137 nT to 2345 nT with a mean of 465 nT.Reduction to equator shows significant shifting of causative bodies in the southern and northern directions.Analytical signal map shows exact boundary of granitic bodies.Cosine directional filter has brought out structural element trending NE-SW direction.Results of individual profile brought to light structurally weak zone between 90 m and 100 m in all the profile lines.Sudden decrease of magnetic values from 2042 nT to 126 nT noticed in profile line 6 between 20 m and 30 m indicates fault occurrence.Magnetic breaks obtained from these maps were visualized,interpreted and identified two suitable sites for open and bore well.Radially averaged power spectrum estimates depth of shallow and deep sources in 5 m and 50 m,respectively.Euler method has also been applied to estimate depth of granitoid and structural elements using structural indexes 0,1,2,and 3 and found depth ranges from<10 m to>90 m.Study indicates magnetic method is one of the geophysical methods suitable for groundwater exploration and site selection for open and borewells.