Descripción de la percolación de hidrocarburos sobre suelos.
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Date
2026
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Publisher
Universidad de Concepción
Abstract
Las fugas y/o derrames de hidrocarburos representan un riesgo ambiental permanente, especialmente en zonas industriales donde puede ocurrir la infiltración de estos compuestos en los suelos. En este contexto el presente trabajo tiene como objetivo estudiar la percolación de hidrocarburos en los diferentes tipos de suelos, con el fin de estimar el avance vertical de estos y analizar el comportamiento hidráulico del medio poroso frente a tres tipos de hidrocarburos, gasolina, diesel y crudo.
Para ello, se realizaron ensayos experimentales que simulan un escenario de pérdida de contención de hidrocarburos en una columna de suelo, para que esto sea representativo, se tomaron dos muestras diferentes de suelo, donde una de las muestras es de textura arenosa y la otra de carácter más arcilloso. Durante los experimentos se realizaron mediciones de flujo de salida en función del tiempo, permitiendo calcular el caudal de salida e identificar el momento donde se estaba en estado transitorio y estacionario del sistema.
A partir de estos resultados, se calibraron los parámetros hidráulicos del modelo (parámetros de Van Genuchten) y se implementó un modelo numérico capaz de simular perfiles de flujo y del contenido volumétrico de líquido en profundidad.
Los resultados evidencian que la gasolina presenta la mayor velocidad de percolación, seguida por el diésel, mientras que el crudo muestra un avance considerablemente más lento y una mayor tendencia a la retención, especialmente en el suelo arenoso. Asimismo, se observaron diferencias significativas entre ambos tipos de suelo, siendo el suelo arcilloso el que presenta una menor conductividad hidráulica y mayor resistencia al flujo. El modelo numérico logró reproducir de manera adecuada las tendencias experimentales, tanto en los tiempos de inicio del goteo como en la estabilización del flujo.
En conjunto, este estudio permite estimar la profundidad de avance de distintos hidrocarburos ante posibles pérdidas de contención y constituye una herramienta de apoyo para la gestión ambiental y en la toma de decisiones ante este tipo de eventos, contribuyendo a una mejor evaluación de riesgo.
Leaks and/or spills of hydrocarbons represent a persistent environmental risk, particularly in industrial areas, where infiltration of these compounds into soils may occur. In this context, the objective of this study is to investigate the percolation of hydrocarbons in different soil types, in order to estimate their vertical advancement and to analyze the hydraulic behavior of the porous medium when exposed to three types of hydrocarbons: gasoline, diesel, and crude oil. To this end, experimental tests were conducted to simulate a hydrocarbon loss-of-containment scenario in a soil column..To ensure representativeness, two different soil samples were taken from the refinery area: one with a sandy texture and the other with a more clayey character. During the experiments, outlet flow measurements were recorded as a function of time, allowing the calculation of the outflow rate and the identification of the transient and steady-state conditions of the system. Based on these results, the hydraulic parameters of the model (Van Genuchten parameters) were calibrated, and a numerical model capable of simulating flow profiles and volumetric liquid content with depth was implemented. The results show that gasoline exhibits the highest percolation velocity, followed by diesel, while crude oil shows a considerably slower advance and a greater tendency toward retention, especially in sandy soil. Likewise, significant differences were observed between the two soil types, with the clayey soil exhibiting lower hydraulic conductivity and greater resistance to flow. The numerical model was able to accurately reproduce the experimental trends, both in the onset times of dripping and in the stabilization of flow. Overall, this study enables the estimation of the penetration depth of different hydrocarbons under potential loss-of-containment scenarios and constitutes a supporting tool for environmental management and decision-making, contributing to improved risk assessment.
Leaks and/or spills of hydrocarbons represent a persistent environmental risk, particularly in industrial areas, where infiltration of these compounds into soils may occur. In this context, the objective of this study is to investigate the percolation of hydrocarbons in different soil types, in order to estimate their vertical advancement and to analyze the hydraulic behavior of the porous medium when exposed to three types of hydrocarbons: gasoline, diesel, and crude oil. To this end, experimental tests were conducted to simulate a hydrocarbon loss-of-containment scenario in a soil column..To ensure representativeness, two different soil samples were taken from the refinery area: one with a sandy texture and the other with a more clayey character. During the experiments, outlet flow measurements were recorded as a function of time, allowing the calculation of the outflow rate and the identification of the transient and steady-state conditions of the system. Based on these results, the hydraulic parameters of the model (Van Genuchten parameters) were calibrated, and a numerical model capable of simulating flow profiles and volumetric liquid content with depth was implemented. The results show that gasoline exhibits the highest percolation velocity, followed by diesel, while crude oil shows a considerably slower advance and a greater tendency toward retention, especially in sandy soil. Likewise, significant differences were observed between the two soil types, with the clayey soil exhibiting lower hydraulic conductivity and greater resistance to flow. The numerical model was able to accurately reproduce the experimental trends, both in the onset times of dripping and in the stabilization of flow. Overall, this study enables the estimation of the penetration depth of different hydrocarbons under potential loss-of-containment scenarios and constitutes a supporting tool for environmental management and decision-making, contributing to improved risk assessment.
Description
Tesis presentada para optar al título de Ingeniero/a Civil Químico/a.
Keywords
Filtración, Infiltración, Hidrocarburos, Suelos