Predicting the Capillary Imbibition of Porous Rocks from Microstructure

The kinetics of capillary imbibition into porous rocks is studied experimentally and theoretically. The Washburn law is modified by introducing various corrections relating to the microstructure of the rocks, such as tortuosity, pore shape (obtained experimentally), and applying the effective medium approximation (EMA) in order to calculate the effective radius that defines the hydraulic conductance and the topology of the capillary imbibition. The application of the EMA shows that capillary imbibition is mainly produced in 1-D, and the pore structure is constituted by different pore throats in series, linked by chamber pores. The capillary process has been discussed as a function of their petrography and pore structure. Our study of the Washburn equation and the addition of correction factors for the pore structure allows a very accurate prediction of the weight rate.     

Imbibition of Anionic Surfactant Solution into Oil-Wet Capillary Tubes

The displacement of oil by anionic surfactant solutions in oil-wet horizontal capillary tubes is studied. The position of the oil–water interface is recorded with time. The surfactant solution used is a mixture of several different surfactants and co-solvents tailored to produce ultra-low interfacial tension (IFT) for the specific oil used in the study. The surfactant solution results in ultra-low IFT at optimum salinity and room temperature. Several experimental parameters including the capillary tube radius and surfactant solution viscosity are varied to study their effect on the interface speed. Two different models are used to predict the oil–water interface position with time. In the first model, it is assumed that the IFT is constant and ultra-low throughout the experiments. The second model involves change of wettability and IFT by adsorption of surfactant molecules to the oil–water interface and the solid surface. Comparing the predictions to the experimental results, it is observed that the second model provides a better match, especially for smaller capillary tubes. The model is then used to predict the imbibition rate for very small capillary tubes, which have equivalent permeability close to oil reservoirs. The results show that the oil displacement rate is limited by the rate of diffusion of surfactants to the interface.     

A Technical Note: Theory of Spontaneous Versus Induced Capillary Imbibition

The prevailing current wisdom about how to properly formulate an algorithm to describe spontaneous and coupled spontaneous/induced capillary imbibition into and through the interstices of porous Darcian scale sediments implies, but perhaps incorrectly, that the early empirical relations of Buckley and Leverett (1942) can safely be employed. Here this persistently popular point of view is found to be inadequate since it overlooks taking into full account how common sense suggests that it is surface energy gradient driving forces which are the underlying cause for the occurrences of these processes. Specifically it will be noted that a satisfactory algorithm to model cases where spontaneous capillary imbibition occurs will not be one which ignores the fact that necessarily the local free surface energy is continuously diminished in magnitude until a minimum value together with a maximum entropy condition has been reached. Hence, the conclusion is drawn herein that the Buckley–Leverett formulations alone at best can only be used to describe what is called those induced capillary imbibition processes caused by the action of mechanical energy driving forces.     

A Discussion of the Effect of Tortuosity on the Capillary Imbibition in Porous Media

In the past decades, there was considerable controversy over the Lucas–Washburn (LW) equation widely applied in capillary imbibition kinetics. Many experimental results showed that the time exponent of the LW equation is less than 0.5. Based on the tortuous capillary model and fractal geometry, the effect of tortuosity on the capillary imbibition in wetting porous media is discussed in this article. The average height growth of wetting liquid in porous media driven by capillary force following the [`(L)] _s(t) ~ t^1/2D_T{\overline L _{\rm {s}}(t)\sim t^{1/{2D_{\rm {T}}}}} law is obtained (here D _T is the fractal dimension for tortuosity, which represents the heterogeneity of flow in porous media). The LW law turns out to be the special case when the straight capillary tube (D _T = 1) is assumed. The predictions by the present model for the time exponent for capillary imbibition in porous media are compared with available experimental data, and the present model can reproduce approximately the global trend of variation of the time exponent with porosity changing.     

Modelling the capillary imbibition kinetics in sedimentary rocks: Role of petrographical features

The kinetics of capillary imbibition into sedimentary rocks has been measured experimentally and calculated with a model that has been described previously by Hammecker and colleagues (1993). The validity of this model has been discussed and compared to other models. Three limestones, two clean sandstones and three clayey sandstones have been studied. The capillary processes are discussed as a function of their petrography and the pore structures. The role of the grain surface, described by the specific surface area, has been especially studied. The influence of clay coating on detrital grains on capillary processes has been quantified.Nomenclature A weight increase rate by capillary imbibition (A=W/(S ₁t)) - B capillary rise rate (B=l/t) - l height of the capillary fringe or the meniscus over the free water level - g gravitational constant - L height of the geometrical elements - P _a pressure in the air - P _c capillary pressure - P _w pressure in the water - Q flow rate - N _l free porosity - Nt total porosity - r radius of the pore (meniscus) - r ₁ pore access radius (neck) - R pore radius (widening) - R _s particle radius - S specific surface area - S ₁ macroscopical area of the sample surface throughout which imbibition occurs - t time - W weight - z height - surface tension - dynamic viscosity - contact angle - density - _r true density     

FLOW OF A TRAIN OF DEFORMABLE FLUID PARTICLES IN A TUBE

I.IntroductionWangandSkalakll]studiedforsolidspheresintubes.HymanandSkalak12--31studiedthemovementofacompactfluidspheres(non-deformable)intubes.Theyonlystudiedcompactdropswhoseradiusesarenotbiggerthan0.7.Pozrikidisl4]studiedthenlotiollofdeformabletluidparticlesintubes.Inthispaper,westudiedtwo-phasenowregime,consistingofaperiodictrainofequallyspacedliquidslugsmovingaxisymmetricallyinacontinuousliquidphasewhichisimmisciblewiththeslugphase(Fig.l(a)).Wereportnumericalsolutionsforthehydrodynamic…     

Spontaneous Inertial Imbibition in Porous Media Using a Fractal Representation of Pore Wall Rugosity

Considering the separable phenomena of imbibition in complex fine porous media as a function of timescale, it is noted that there are two discrete imbibition rate regimes when expressed in the Lucas–Washburn (L–W) equation. Commonly, to account for this deviation from the single equivalent hydraulic capillary, experimentalists propose an effective contact angle change. In this work, we consider rather the general term of the Wilhelmy wetting force regarding the wetting line length, and apply a proposed increase in the liquid–solid contact line and wetting force provided by the introduction of surface meso/nanoscale structure to the pore wall roughness. An experimental surface pore wall feature size regarding the rugosity area is determined by means of capillary condensation during nitrogen gas sorption in a ground calcium carbonate tablet compact. On this nano size scale, a fractal structure of pore wall is proposed to characterize for the internal rugosity of the porous medium. Comparative models based on the Lucas–Washburn and Bosanquet inertial absorption equations, respectively, for the short timescale imbibition are constructed by applying the extended wetting line length and wetting force to the equivalent hydraulic capillary observed at the long timescale imbibition. The results comparing the models adopting the fractal structure with experimental imbibition rate suggest that the L–W equation at the short timescale cannot match experiment, but that the inertial plug flow in the Bosanquet equation matches the experimental results very well. If the fractal structure can be supported in nature, then this stresses the role of the inertial term in the initial stage of imbibition. Relaxation to a smooth-walled capillary then takes place over the longer timescale as the surface rugosity wetting is overwhelmed by the pore condensation and film flow of the liquid ahead of the bulk wetting front, and thus to a smooth walled capillary undergoing permeation viscosity-controlled flow.     

多孔介质自发渗吸研究进展

自发渗吸是发生在多孔介质里的一种常见自然现象, 存在于众多工程应用和自然科学领域, 多孔介质 中自发渗吸的基本静力学和动力学问题已成为当前国际研究的热点课题之一. 本文综述了传统理论研究中的 Lucas{Washburn(LW) 模型, Terzaghi 模型, Handy 模型, Mattax 和Kyte 无因次时间标度模型, Aronofsky 归 一化采收率标度模型以及近十年最新研究进展, 分析了渗吸机理判别参数研究, 简述了数值模拟研究及渗吸率 影响机理的实验研究现状, 总结了基于分形理论研究多孔介质自发渗吸的最新进展, 并展望了多孔介质以及裂 缝性双重多孔介质中牛顿流体和非牛顿流体自发渗吸研究的方向和课题.      

各向异性双重介质垂直裂缝井两相流体渗流

建立了各向异性双重介质中垂直裂缝井两相渗流数学模型,用有限差分法求得了其解,进行了算例分析。得到了含水饱和度沿径向、最大及最小渗透率方向的分布和水驱油前缘等饱和度面随时间的变化,分别讨论了各向异性、吸渗作用对这种介质中两相流体渗流的影响。结果表明：渗透率较在的方向,前缘推进速度较快,油井见水较早;吸渗使前缘推进速度减慢,使油井见水晚。注水开发这种油藏时,见水前注入率不能太大以充分发挥吸渗作用,存在最佳注入率。这对于水力压裂垂直裂缝井注水开发碳酸盐岩裂缝性油藏有指导意义。     

Transient moisture transport in a cracked porous medium

Condensation under high relative humidity, imbibition under zero capillary pressure, and drying in a cracked mesoporous slab is numerically simulated. The porous medium is homogeneous, the crack lattice is periodic and has uniform aperture and transport properties. It is found that the crack lattice density and the crack hydraulic conductivity has minor influence on the global kinetics of condensation and drying, and a strong influence on the imbibition kinetics. The transient effects of the heterogeneity of the medium are examined from three view-points: the study of the spatial distribution of pressure head, the tentative definition of an effective diffusivity, and the comparison between the quasi-static and transient transport properties. The equivalent homogeneous medium approach is found to be relatively satisfactory to describe the global kinetics in the three processes. The transient effects appear in secondary features of the processes.     

Immiscible Displacement in the Interacting Capillary Bundle Model Part II. Applications of Model and Comparison of Interacting and Non-Interacting Capillary Bundle Models

In the first part of this work (Dong et al., Transport Porous Media, 59, 1–18, 2005), an interacting capillary bundle model was developed for analysing immiscible displacement processes in porous media. In this paper, the second part of the work, the model is applied to analyse the fluid dynamics of immiscible displacements. The analysis includes: (1) free spontaneous imbibition, (2) the effects of injection rate and oil–water viscosity ratio on the displacement interface profile, and (3) the effect of oil–water viscosity ratio on the relative permeability curves. Analysis of a non-interacting tube bundle model is also presented for comparison. Because pressure equilibration between the capillaries is stipulated in the interacting capillary model, it is able to reproduce the behaviour of immiscible displacement observed in porous media which cannot be modelled by using non-interacting tube bundle models.     

The motion of a closely-fitting sphere in a fluid-filled tube

Singular perturbation techniques are used to investigate the slow, asymmetric flow around a sphere positioned eccentrically within a long, circular, cylindrical tube filled with viscous fluid. The results apply to situations in which the sphere occupies virtually the entire cross section of the cylinder, so that the clearance between the particle and tube wall is everywhere small compared with both the sphere and tube radii. The technique is an improvement over conventional “lubrication-theory” analyses.Asymptotic expansions, valid for small dimensionless clearances, are obtained for the hydrodynamic force, torque and pressure drop for flow past a stationary sphere, as well as for the case of a sphere translating or rotating in an otherwise quiescent fluid. These expansions are employed to predict the macroscopic behavior of both a neutrally-buoyant sphere suspended in a Poiseuille flow, and a sedimenting sphere in a vertical tube.The results find application in capillary blood flow, pipeline transport of encapsulated materials, and falling-ball viscometers.     

Elastocapillary imbibition

When a wetting liquid invades a porous medium or a capillary tube, the penetration or imbibition speed is known to decrease as the square root of time. We examine the capillary filling of a gap between flexible sheets and demonstrate that the pressure-induced inward deflection of the sheets leads to a non-monotonic behavior of the speed of the invading meniscus until eventually the flow is blocked. A model based on lubrication theory is formulated as a non-linear free-boundary problem, which is solved numerically using finite-difference methods. Good agreement is obtained with our experiments. At early times the deformation of the sheets is insignificant, and the penetration speed is unaffected. At later times, as the penetration distance approaches the elastocapillary length, the deformation becomes appreciable and the flow accelerates. Shortly thereafter, the gap at the air-liquid interface goes to zero, and the flow necessarily stops. The length of the sheets above which imbibition will cause them to coalesce is determined and is found to be in good agreement with that predicted via scaling arguments. Biological applications of this transient wetting of flexible boundaries are discussed.     

Fractal Prediction Model of Spontaneous Imbibition Rate

By utilizing fractal dimension as one of the parameters to characterize rocks, a mathematical model was derived to predict the production rate by spontaneous imbibition. This fractal production model predicts a power law relationship between spontaneous imbibition rate and time. Fractal dimension can be estimated from the fractal production model using the experimental data of spontaneous imbibition in porous media. The experimental data of recovery in gas-water-rock and oil–water–rock systems were used to test the fractal production model. The rocks (Berea sandstone, chalk, and The Geysers graywacke) in which the spontaneous water imbibition experiments were conducted had different permeabilities ranging from 0.5 to over 1000 md. The results demonstrate that the fractal production model can match the experimental data satisfactorily in the cases studied. The fractal dimension data inferred from the model match were approximately equal to the values of fractal dimension measured using a different technique (mercury-intrusion capillary pressure) in Berea sandstone.     

A boundary element simulation of the unsteady motion of a sphere in a cylindrical tube containing a viscoelastic fluid

A boundary element method is used to simulate the unsteady motion of a sphere falling under gravity along the centreline of a cylindrical tube containing a viscoelastic fluid. The fluid is modelled by the upper-convected Maxwell constitutive equation. Results show that the viscoelasticity of the liquid leads to a damped oscillation in sphere velocity about its terminal value. The maximum sphere velocity, which occurs in the first overshoot, is approximately proportional to the square root of the Weissenberg number when the ratio of the sphere radius to the tube radius is sufficiently small. Particular attention is also paid to the wall effects. It is shown that a closer wall reduces the oscillatory amplitude of the sphere velocity but increases its frequency. The results suggest that the falling-ball technique, which is now widely used for viscosity measurement, might also be used for the determination of a relaxation time for a viscoelastic fluid.     

DYNAMICAL FORMATION OF CAVITY FOR COMPOSED THERMAL HYPERELASTIC SPHERES IN NONUNIFORM TEMPERATURE FIELDS

Dynamical formation and growth of cavity in a sphere composed of two incompressible thermal-hyperelastic Gent-Thomas materials were discussed under the case of a non-uniform temperature field and the surface dead loading. The mathematical model was first presented based on the dynamical theory of finite deformations. An exact differential relation between the void radius and surface load was obtained by using the variable transformation method. By numerical computation, critical loads and cavitation growth curves were obtained for different temperatures. The influence of the temperature and material parameters of the composed sphere on the void formation and growth was considered and compared with those for static analysis. The results show that the cavity occurs suddenly with a finite radius and its evolvement with time displays a non-linear periodic vibration and that the critical load decreases with the increase of temperature and also the dynamical critical load is lower than the static critical load under the same conditions.     

幂强化材料和超弹性材料组合球体中孔穴的动态生成

在简单加载条件下,研究幂强化材料和超弹性材料组合球体中的动态孔穴生成和增长问题,首先在有限变形动力学的框架下建立了相应的非线性数学模型,得到了应力的表达式,利用变量变换的方法求得了外加载荷和孔穴半径之间的一个精确的微分关系式,证明了当突加载荷超过其临界值时,球体内部有孔穴的突然生成,并随时间呈现非线性的周期振动．通过数值计算,分析了材料参数和球体的半径比对孔穴生成和增长的影响,并与相应的静态结果进行了比较．结果发现,惯性力的影响降低孔穴生成的临界载荷,而且材料的塑性对孔穴生成和增长有明显的影响．     

Viscous flow of a suspension of liquid drops in a cylindrical tube

Viscous flow in a circular cylindrical tube containing an infinite line of viscous liquid drops equally spaced along the tube axis is considered under the assumption that a surface tension, sufficiently large, holds the drops in a nearly spherical shape. Three cases are considered: (1) axial translation of the drops, (2) flow of the external fluid past a line of stationary drops, and (3) flow of external fluid and liquid drops under an imposed pressure gradient. Both fluids are taken to be Newtonian and incompressible, and the linearized equations of creeping flow are used.The results show that both drag and pressure drop per sphere increase as the spacing increases at fixed radius and also increase as the radius of the drop increases. The presence of the internal motion reduces the drag and pressure gradients in all cases compared to rigid spheres, particularly for drops approaching the size of the tube.     

Theory of capillary viscometers taking into account surface tension effects

The constants of the working equation of capillary viscometers of gravity flow type are no true instrument constants owing to its dependence on the surface tension of the fluid. We have calculated numerically this dependence in the case of Ostwald-Rankine and Ubbelohde type viscometers. In the case of Ubbelohde viscometer with suspended level it is possible to make the surface tension errors lower than 0.01% by suitable choice of the radius of curvature of the suspended level. This radius is calculated for many practical cases.