Analytical Solution of Compression,Free Swelling and Electrical Loading of Saturated Charged Porous Media

Analytical solutions are derived for one-dimensional consolidation, free swelling and electrical loading of a saturated charged porous medium. The governing equations describe infinitesimal deformations of linear elastic isotropic charged porous media saturated with a mono-valent ionic solution. From the governing equations a coupled diffusion equation in state space notation is derived for the electro-chemical potentials, which is decoupled introducing a set of normal parameters, being a linear combination of the eigenvectors of the diffusivity matrix. The magnitude of the eigenvalues of the diffusivity matrix correspond to the time scales for Darcy flow, diffusion of ionic constituents and diffusion of electrical potential.     

A solution of steady-state fluid flow in multiply fractured isotropic porous media

Herein a plane, steady-state fluid flow solution for fractured porous media is first presented. The solution is based on the theory of complex potentials, the theory of Cauchy integrals, and of singular integral equations. Subsequently, a numerical method is illustrated that may be used for the accurate estimation of the pore pressure and pore pressure gradient fields due to specified hydraulic pressure or pore pressure gradient acting on the lips of one or multiple non-intersecting curvilinear cracks in a homogeneous and isotropic porous medium. It is shown that the numerical integration algorithm of the singular integral equations is fast and converges rapidly. After the successful validation of the numerical scheme several cases of multiple curvilinear cracks are illustrated.     

Modeling Unsaturated Flow in Absorbent Swelling Porous Media: Part 1. Theory

The flow and deformation processes in swelling porous media are modeled for absorbent hygiene products (e.g., diapers, wipes, papers etc.). The first part of the article derives the fundamental equations for the hysteretic unsaturated flow, liquid absorption, and large deformation. The final set of model equations consists of balance equations of mobile and absorbed (immobile) liquid combined with a series of constitutive relationships. The resulting equation system is strongly nonlinear and requires advanced numerical strategies for solving. The second part of the article focuses on numerical solution and presents simulation results for 2D and 3D applications.     

The Role of Capillarity in Two-Phase Flow through Porous Media

When determining experimentally relative permeability and capillary pressure as a function of saturation, a self-consistent system of macroscopic equations, that includes Leverett's equation for capillary pressure, is required. In this technical note, such a system of equations, together with the conditions under which the equations apply, is formulated. With the aid of this system of equations, it is shown that, at the inlet boundary of a vertically oriented porous medium, static conditions pertain, and that potentials, because of the definition of potential, are equal in magnitude to pressures. Consequently, Leverett's equation is valid at the inlet boundary of the porous medium, provided cocurrent flow, or gravity-driven, countercurrent flow is taking place, and provided the porous medium is homogeneous. Moreover, it is demonstrated that Leverett's equation is valid for flow along the length of a vertically oriented porous medium, provided cocurrent flow, or gravity-driven, countercurrent flow is taking place, and provided the porous medium is homogeneous and there are no hydrodynamic effects. However, Leverett's equation is invalid for horizontal, steady-state, forced, countercurrent flow. When such flow is taking place, it is the sum of the pressures, and not the difference in pressures, which is related to capillary pressure.     

From Single-Phase to Compositional Flow: Applicability of Mixed Finite Elements

In this paper we discuss the formulation of the governing equations that describe flow of fluids in porous media. Various types of fluid flow, ranging from single-phase flow to compositional flow, are considered. It is shown that all the differential equations governing these types of flow can be effectively rewritten in a fractional flow formulation; i.e., in terms of a global pressure and saturation (or saturations), and that mixed finite element methods can be accurately exploited to solve the pressure equation. Numerical results are presented to see the performance of the mixed methods for the flow equations in three space dimensions.     

Elastic Waves in Swelling Porous Media

Time harmonic waves in a swelling porous elastic medium of infinite extent and consisting of solid, liquid and gas phases have been studied. Employing Eringen’s theory of swelling porous media, it has been shown that there exist three dilatational and two shear waves propagating with distinct velocities. The velocities of these waves are found to be frequency dependent and complex valued, showing that the waves are attenuating in nature. Here, the appearance of an additional shear wave is new and arises due to swelling phenomena of the medium, which disappears in the absence of swelling. The reflection phenomenon of an incident dilatational wave from a stress-free plane boundary of a porous elastic half-space has been investigated for two types of boundary surfaces: (i) surface having open pores and (ii) surface having sealed pores. Using appropriate boundary conditions for these boundary surfaces, the equations giving the reflection coefficients corresponding to various reflected waves are presented. Numerical computations are performed for a specific model consisting of sandstone, water and carbon dioxide as solid, liquid and gas phases, respectively, of the porous medium. The variations of phase speeds and their corresponding attenuation coefficients are depicted against frequency parameter for all the existing waves. The variations of reflection coefficients and corresponding energy ratios against the angle of incidence are also computed and depicted graphically. It has been shown that in a limiting case, Eringen’s theory of swelling porous media reduces to Tuncay and Corapcioglu theory of porous media containing two immiscible fluids. The various numerical results under these two theories have been compared graphically.     

ONSET CONDITION OF STRAIN LOCALIZATION IN MATRIX OF SATURATED POROUS MEDIA

Introduction Strainlocalizationofgeomaterialsisoneofmostpopularfailuretypesinnature,which canbeshowedaslandslidesandmudflowsinmountainousareasunderincessantorheavy raining,especiallythevegetationisseverelydamagedbywoodsharvest;pipingeffect,a typeoflocalfa…     

Coupled Solvent and Heat Transport of a Mixture of Swelling Porous Particles and Fluids: Single Time-Scale Problem

A three-spatial scale, single time-scale model for both moisture and heat transport is developed for an unsaturated swelling porous media from first principles within a mixture theoretic framework. On the smallest (micro) scale, the system consists of macromolecules (clay particles, polymers, etc.) and a solvating liquid (vicinal fluid), each of which are viewed as individual phases or nonoverlapping continua occupying distinct regions of space and satisfying the classical field equations. These equations are homogenized forming overlaying continua on the intermediate (meso) scale via hybrid mixture theory (HMT). On the mesoscale the homogenized swelling particles consisting of the homogenized vicinal fluid and colloid are then mixed with two bulk phase fluids: the bulk solvent and its vapor. At this scale, there exists three nonoverlapping continua occupying distinct regions of space. On the largest (macro) scale the saturated homogenized particles, bulk liquid and vapor solvent, are again homogenized forming four overlaying continua: doubly homogenized vicinal fluid, doubly homogenized macromolecules, and singly homogenized bulk liquid and vapor phases. Two constitutive theories are developed, one at the mesoscale and the other at the macroscale. Both are developed via the Coleman and Noll method of exploiting the entropy inequality coupled with linearization about equilibrium. The macroscale constitutive theory does not rely upon the mesoscale theory as is common in other upscaling methods. The energy equation on either the mesoscale or macroscale generalizes de Vries classical theory of heat and moisture transport. The momentum balance allows for flow of fluid via volume fraction gradients, pressure gradients, external force fields, and temperature gradients.     

渗流方程自适应非均匀网格Dagan粗化算法

在粗网格内先统计渗透率在粗网格中的概率分布，利用Dagan渗透率粗化积分方程通过渗透率概率分布计算粗化网格的等效渗透率，并由等效渗透率计算了粗化网格的压强分布，计算压强时还将渗透率自适应网格技术应用于三维渗流方程的网格粗化算法中，在渗透率或孔隙度变化异常区域自动采用精细网格，用直接解法求解渗透率或孔隙度变化异常区域的压强分布。整个求解区采用不均匀网格粗化，在流体流速高的区域采用精细网格。利用本文方法计算了三维渗流方程的压强分布，结果表明这种算法的解在渗透率或孔隙度异常区的压强分布规律非常逼近精细网格的解，在其他区域压强分布规律非常逼近粗化算法的解，计算速度比采用精细网格提高了约100倍。     

Finite element solution of multi-dimensional two-phase flow through porous media with arbitrary heating conditions

Mechanistic models for flow regime transitions and drag forces proposed in an earlier work are employed to predict two-phase flow characteristics in multi-dimensional porous layers. The numerical scheme calls for elimination of velocities in favor of pressure and void fraction. The momentum equations for vapor and liquid then can be reduced to a system of two partial differential equations (PDEs) which must be solved simultaneously for pressure and void fraction.

Solutions are obtained both in two-dimensional cartesian and in axi-symmetric coordinate systems. The porous layers in both cases are composed of regions with different permeabilities. The finite element method is employed by casting the PDEs in their equivalent variational forms. Two classes of boundary conditions (specified pressure and specified fluid fluxes) can be incorporated in the solution. Volumetric heating can be included as a source term. The numerical procedure is thus suitable for a wide variety of geometry and heating conditions. Numerical solutions are also compared with available experimental data.     

On viscoelastic effects in non-Newtonian steady flows through porous media

This paper presents a mathematical model for describing approximately the viscoelastic effects in non-Newtonian steady flows through a porous medium. The rheological behaviour of power law fluids is considered in the Maxwell model of elastic behaviour of the fluids. The equations governing the steady flow through porous media are derived and an analytical solution of these equations in the case of a simple flow system is obtained. The conditions for which the viscoelastic effects may become observable from the pressure distribution measurements are shown and expressed in terms of some dimensionless groups. These have been found to be relevant in the evaluation of viscoelastic effects in the steady flow through porous media.     

Multicomponent, Multiphase Thermodynamics of Swelling Porous Media with Electroquasistatics: II. Constitutive Theory

In Part I macroscopic field equations of mass, linear and angular momentum, energy, and the quasistatic form of Maxwell's equations for a multiphase, multicomponent medium were derived. Here we exploit the entropy inequality to obtain restrictions on constitutive relations at the macroscale for a 2-phase, multiple-constituent, polarizable mixture of fluids and solids. Specific emphasis is placed on charged porous media in the presence of electrolytes. The governing equations for the stress tensors of each phase, flow of the fluid through a deforming medium, and diffusion of constituents through such a medium are derived. The results have applications in swelling clays (smectites), biopolymers, biological membranes, pulsed electrophoresis, chromotography, drug delivery, and other swelling systems.     

Extrudate Trilobe Catalysts and Loading Effects on Pressure Drop and Dynamic Liquid Holdup in Porous Media of Trickle Bed Reactors

The hydrodynamics of concurrent gas-liquid downflow through a porous media of fixed bed reactor has been studied experimentally in a range of trickling flow rates. A pilot bed is packed with industrial spherical and extrudate trilobe catalysts. The industrial trilobe catalysts are packed in a bed using two different methods: random close or dense packing and random sock packing. The experiments are performed for single phase in the cases of wet and dry packed beds and for two-phase flow conditions. The comparisons of pressure drops as well as liquid holdup are carried out for the above three different porous media, random close, dense packing and random sock packing. It is shown that the pressure drop of the dense loaded bed is higher than that of spherical particles which have approximately the same porosity. The results also revealed that the bed porosity, shape and contact points of the loaded catalyst have significant effects on the dynamic liquid holdup of the TBRs. Finally, a new correlation was developed for dynamic liquid holdup and pressure drop calculation for trilobe dense and sock catalyst beds and beds which are loaded with spherical particles.     

含有启动压力梯度的渗流问题及其无网格解法

针对两种典型的涉及启动压力梯度的渗流问题,给出了无量纲化的渗流控制方程、初始条件和边界条件,并使用无网格方法进行数值模拟。计算结果使用Gringarten—Bourdet图版进行井底压力分析,给出了一种计算动边界位置的方法,并详细讨论了动边界变化情况。     

A Two-Scale Model for Coupled Electro-Chemo-Mechanical Phenomena and Onsager’s Reciprocity Relations in Expansive Clays: II Computational Validation

In Part I Moyne and Murad [Transport in Porous Media 62, (2006), 333–380] a two-scale model of coupled electro-chemo-mechanical phenomena in swelling porous media was derived by a formal asymptotic homogenization analysis. The microscopic portrait of the model consists of a two-phase system composed of an electrolyte solution and colloidal clay particles. The movement of the liquid at the microscale is ruled by the modified Stokes problem; the advection, diffusion and electro-migration of monovalent ions Na⁺ and Cl⁻ are governed by the Nernst–Planck equations and the local electric potential distribution is dictated by the Poisson problem. The microscopic governing equations in the fluid domain are coupled with the elasticity problem for the clay particles through boundary conditions on the solid–fluid interface. The up-scaling procedure led to a macroscopic model based on Onsager’s reciprocity relations coupled with a modified form of Terzaghi’s effective stress principle including an additional swelling stress component. A notable consequence of the two-scale framework are the new closure problems derived for the macroscopic electro-chemo-mechanical parameters. Such local representation bridge the gap between the macroscopic Thermodynamics of Irreversible Processes and microscopic Electro-Hydrodynamics by establishing a direct correlation between the magnitude of the effective properties and the electrical double layer potential, whose local distribution is governed by a microscale Poisson–Boltzmann equation. The purpose of this paper is to validate computationally the two-scale model and to introduce new concepts inherent to the problem considering a particular form of microstructure wherein the clay fabric is composed of parallel particles of face-to-face contact. By discretizing the local Poisson–Boltzmann equation and solving numerically the closure problems, the constitutive behavior of the diffusion coefficients of cations and anions, chemico-osmotic and electro-osmotic conductivities in Darcy’s law, Onsager’s parameters, swelling pressure, electro-chemical compressibility, surface tension, primary/secondary electroviscous effects and the reflection coefficient are computed for a range particle distances and sat concentrations.     

Flows through Porous Media Containing a Shielded Spherical Inclusion

Compact formulas are obtained for constructing flow potentials in media containing a spherical inclusion shielded by a high- or low-permeability film (fracture or barrier) using the known potentials of steady-state incompressible fluid flows through homogeneous porous media. The formulas obtained can be extended both to inhomogeneous porous media in which the permeability functions have different constant factors inside and outside the inclusion and to bounded zones. The type of singular points of the potentials (sources, sinks, etc.) and the boundary conditions assigned in media without an inclusion are conserved for media containing a shielded inclusion. As an example, translational flow past a spherical shielded polluted zone is studied. This is of interest in connection with environmental problems.     

考虑膨胀力的非饱和介质热-水-应力耦合二维有限元分析

从建立应力平衡方程、水连续性方程、能量守恒方程和弹塑性矩阵入手,使用Galerk in方法,将各控制方程分别在空间域和时间域进行离散,开发出了一个可考虑膨胀力的用于分析非饱和介质中热-水-应力耦合弹塑性问题的二维有限元程序.通过对一个假定的核废料地下处置库的热-水-应力耦合问题的数值计算,比较了无、有膨胀力时的情况,在定性上验证了该程序的正确性.     

What is the Correct Definition of Average Pressure?

Use of a correct definition of average pressure is important in numerical modeling of oil reservoirs and aquifers, where the simulated domain can be very large. Also, the average pressure needs to be defined in the application of pore-network modeling of (two-phase) flow in porous media, as well as in the (theoretical) upscaling of flow equations. Almost always the so-called intrinsic phase-volume average operator, which weighs point pressure values with point saturation values, is employed. Here, we introduce and investigate four other potentially plausible averaging operators. Among them is the centroid-corrected phase-average pressure, which corrects the intrinsic phase-volume average pressure for the distance between the centroid of the averaging volume and the phase. We consider static equilibrium of two immiscible fluids in a homogeneous, one-dimensional, vertical porous medium domain under a series of (static) drainage conditions. An important feature of static equilibrium is that the total potential (i.e., the sum of pressure and gravity potentials) is constant for each phase over the whole domain. Therefore, its average will be equal to the same constant. It is argued that the correct average pressure must preserve the fact that fluid potentials are constant. We have found that the intrinsic phase-volume average pressure results in a gradient in the total phase potential, i.e., the above criterion is violated. In fact, only the centroid-corrected operator satisfies this criterion. However, at high saturations, use of the centroid-corrected average can give rise to negative values of the difference between the average nonwetting and wetting phase pressures. For main drainage, differences among various averaging operators are significantly less because both phases are present initially, such that the difference between the centroids of phases, and the middle of the domain are relatively small.     

多孔介质中稳定泡沫的流动计算及实验研究

将多孔介质简化为一簇变截面毛管束,根据多孔介质的颗粒直径、颗粒排列方式、孔喉尺度比及束缚水饱和度,计算出变截面毛细管的喉道半径和孔隙半径. 在考虑多孔介质喉道和孔隙中单个气泡的受力和变形基础上,利用动量守恒定理,推导出单个孔隙单元内液相的压力分布和孔隙单元两端的压差计算公式,最终得到多孔介质的压力分布计算公式. 利用长U型填砂管对稳定泡沫的流动特性进行了实验研究. 研究结果表明:稳定泡沫流动时多孔介质中的压力分布呈线性下降,影响泡沫在多孔介质中流动特性的因素包括:多孔介质的孔喉结构、泡沫流体的流量和干度、气液界面张力、气泡尺寸,其中孔喉结构和泡沫干度是影响泡沫封堵能力的主要因素.关键词: 稳定泡沫;多孔介质;变截面毛管;流动;表观粘度;压力分布;实验研究      

The Physical Origin of Interfacial Coupling in Two-Phase Flow through Porous Media

Recently developed transport equations for two-phase flow through porous media usually have a second term that has been included to account properly for interfacial coupling between the two flowing phases. The source and magnitude of such coupling is not well understood. In this study, a partition concept has been introduced into Kalaydjian's transport equations to construct modified transport equations that enable a better understanding of the role of interfacial coupling in two-phase flow through natural porous media. Using these equations, it is demonstrated that, in natural porous media, the physical origin of interfacial coupling is the capillarity of the porous medium, and not interfacial momentum transfer, as is usually assumed. The new equations are also used to show that, under conditions of steady-state flow, the magnitude of mobilities measured in a countercurrent flow experiment is the same as that measured in a cocurrent flow experiment, contrary to what has been reported previously. Moreover, the new equations are used to explicate the mechanism by which a saturation front steepens in an unstabilized displacement, and to show that the rate at which a wetting fluid is imbibed into a porous medium is controlled by the capillary coupling parameter, . Finally, it is argued that the capillary coupling parameter, , is dependent, at least in part, on porosity. Because a clear understanding of the role played by interfacial coupling is important to an improved understanding of two-phase flow through porous media, the new transport equations should prove to be effective tools for the study of such flow.