Electrical Resistivity Index in Multiphase Flow through Porous Media

The simultaneous flow of two phases through a three-dimensional porous medium is calculated by means of a Lattice-Boltzmann algorithm. The time-dependent phase configurations can be derived and also macroscopic quantities such as the relative permeabilities. When one phase only is supposed to be conductive, the Laplace equation which governs electrical conduction can be solved in each phase configuration; an instantaneous value of the macroscopic conductivity is obtained and it is averaged over many configurations. The influence of saturation on the resistivity index is studied for six different samples and two viscosity ratios. The saturation exponent is systematically determined. The numerical results are also compared to other possible models and also to experimental results; finally, they are discussed and criticized.     

Flow from the Soil Surface into a Fractured Porous Aeration Zone

The one-dimensional problem of the contamination of a fractured porous aeration zone as a result of a fast spill of fluid over the soil surface is investigated. The block capillary imbibition rate is approximated with allowance for the experimental data. An analytic dependence describing the trajectory of the leading contamination front is obtained and the depth of penetration of the spill into the soil is found. The block contamination profile is determined.     

缝洞型多孔介质中多相流的有限体积法数值模拟

本文研究的碳酸盐岩油藏储集体属于缝洞型多孔介质.这类缝洞型多孔介质由裂缝、溶蚀孔洞和低孔隙度低渗透率的基岩组成.裂缝是空隙流体流动的主要通道;溶蚀孔洞大小从几厘米到数米不等,渗透率和孔隙度都很高,是流体主要的储集空间.由于缝洞型多孔介质空隙空间的复杂性和强非均质性,数值计算中基本控制方程的空间离散应采用非结构化网格的计算模型.本文采用有限体积法模拟缝洞型多孔介质中多相流体的流动,并给出了相应的单元中心格式有限体积法的计算公式.裂缝介质和溶洞介质中单元间多相流体的流动考虑为高速非达西流,其质量通量采用Forchheimer定律计算.非线性方程的离散选取全隐式格式,并采用Newton-Raphson迭代进行求解.通过两个二维模型注水驱油的数值模拟,验证了本文方法的有效性.     

Simulation of Coupled Viscous and Porous Flow Problems

Theoretical and numerical formulations are presented for the conjugate problem involving incompressible flow and flow in a saturated porous medium. The major focus of the work is the development of a generally applicable finite element method for the simulation of both fixed interface and evolving porous interface problems. The available alternatives for coupling Darcy and non-Darcy models to the Navier-Stokes equations have been studied and evaluated in a mixed finite element framework. Questions regarding convergence of the finite element method for porous flow models have been addressed. Numerical experiments on simple flow geometries have revealed the shortcomings of both the Darcy and Brinkman models. Application of the more realistic models to practical, multidimensional, flow studies has also been demonstrated.     

Stochastic Finite Element Analysis for Multiphase Flow in Heterogeneous Porous Media

This study is concerned with developing a two-dimensional multiphase model that simulates the movement of NAPL in heterogeneous aquifers. Heterogeneity is dealt with in a probabilistic sense by modeling the intrinsic permeability of the porous medium as a stochastic process. The deterministic finite element method is used to spatially discretize the multiphase flow equations. The intrinsic permeability is represented in the model via its Karhunen–Loeve expansion. This is a computationally expedient representation of stochastic processes by means of a discrete set of random variables. Further, the nodal unknowns, water phase saturations and water phase pressures, are represented by their stochastic spectral expansions. This representation involves an orthogonal basis in the space of random variables. The basis consists of orthogonal polynomial chaoses of consecutive orders. The relative permeabilities of water and oil phases, and the capillary pressure are expanded in the same manner, as well. For these variables, the set of deterministic coefficients multiplying the basis in their expansions is evaluated based on constitutive relationships expressing the relative permeabilities and the capillary pressure as functions of the water phase saturations. The implementation of the various expansions into the multiphase flow equations results in the formulation of discretized stochastic differential equations that can be solved for the deterministic coefficients appearing in the expansions representing the unknowns. This method allows the computation of the probability distribution functions of the unknowns for any point in the spatial domain of the problem at any instant in time. The spectral formulation of the stochastic finite element method used herein has received wide acceptance as a comprehensive framework for problems involving random media. This paper provides the application of this formalism to the problem of two-phase flow in a random porous medium.     

可压缩气体定常非Darcy渗流的流动分析及其应用

气体通过多孔介质的非Darcy流动具有广泛的工程应用背景，因此对多孔介质中的气体非Darcy流动进行流动分析有着非常重要的意义。然而，在通常的研究中，一般都将气体考虑为不可压缩流体，很少考虑气体的压缩性。对于高压气体以较高的速度通过多孔介质的情况，在进行流动分析时，不仅要考虑非Darcy效应，还必须考虑气体的压缩性。在本文中，对可压缩气体通过多孔介质的定常非Darcy流动进行了一维流动分析，得出了多孔介质中气体的压力分布和速度分布。还进一步给出了在高压差和高流速情况下，测定多孔介质材料渗透率和惯性系数的方法，以及多孔介质材料前后压力差与材料厚度的比Δp/L和材料有气流速度u1的解析关系。     

基于图像识别的裂隙煤层气非Darcy渗流模拟

煤层气在煤岩裂隙中流动时,由于其粘度系数较小,很容易产生非Darcy现象.因此,考虑煤层气的非Darcy渗流将会使得研究结果更加客观和准确,对煤层气开采具有实际意义.首先将实物裂隙高清拍照导入Matlab软件中进行图像二值化处理,再利用COMSOL软件对二值图像进行模型重构和数值模拟.模拟结果显示,煤层气渗流速度随着裂隙尺度的变化而不断改变,速度随时间不断增加,但区域渗流速度分布状态保持不变.与Darcy结果的对比分析可知,相同压力梯度下,考虑非Darcy因素的产气量要明显小于仅考虑Darcy因素的情况.同时,结果显示,在渗透率不同的煤裂隙中,煤层气的渗流速度不同.渗透率较大时,渗流速度相对较大,同样,渗透率较小时,渗透速度较小.     

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.     

方柱绕流的数值模拟

采用有限差分法,对雷诺数为2.2×10~4的方柱绕流进行了大涡模拟(简称LES)。运用时间分裂控制(Split-Operator)法,将N-S方程分为对流步、扩散步和传播步。对Smagorinsky假设在近壁区的发散问题用两层模型进行处理。对流项用迎风—中心差分格式模拟,压力方程用SOR法迭代求解。计算得到的沿对称线的时均顺流向速度与文献上的实验结果进行了比较,结果吻合较好,同时还对绕方柱流的流场结构进行了分析研究。     

Modeling of Two-Phase Flow in Fractured Porous Media on Unstructured Non-Uniformly Coarsened Grids

In this article, we investigate two strategies for coarsening fractured geological models. The first approach, which generates grids that resolve the fractures, is referred to as explicit fracture-matrix separation (EFMS). The second approach is based on a non-uniform coarsening strategy introduced in Aarnes et al. (Adv Water Resour 30(11):2177–2193, 2007a). A series of two-phase flow simulations where the saturation is modeled on the respective coarse grids are performed. The accuracy of the resulting solutions is examined, and the robustness of the two strategies is assessed with respect to number of fractures, degree of coarsening, well locations, phase viscosities, and fracture permeability. The numerical results show that saturation solutions obtained on the non-uniform coarse grids are consistently more accurate than the corresponding saturation solutions obtained on the EFMS grids. The numerical results also reveal that it is much easier to tune the upscaling factor with the non-uniform coarsening approach.     

Hydrodynamic Effects in Two-Phase Multicomponent Mixture Flow through a Porous Medium in Oil Reservoirs with a Complex Structure

The features of the hydrodynamic processes in stratified inhomogeneous oil reservoirs are investigated using a numerical solution of the equations of two-phase multicomponent flow through a porous medium. The structures of the two-phase flows caused by the reservoir structure and the hydrodynamic interaction between the phases are analyzed in relation to problems of the displacement of oil by water in ordinary flooding and in the presence of moving thickener slugs.     

Numerical Experiments with Various Formulations for Two Phase Flow in Petroleum Reservoirs*

Two phase immiscible flow in petroleum reservoirs is considered. Various formulations of the governing equations that describe this flow, including phase, global, and weighted formulations, are numerically experimented. Mixed finite element methods are used to solve these formulations. Our experiments show that the numerical results obtained using the phase and global formulations match well in terms of production rates, characterization curves, and water cuts.     

Microvisual Study of Multiphase Gas Condensate Flow in Porous Media

Gas condensate reservoirs constitute a significant portion of hydrocarbon reserves worldwide. The liquid drop-out in these reservoirs may lead to recovery problems such as near wellbore permeability impairment and uncertainty in the actual location of the target condensate. Such technical issues can be addressed through improved understanding of the formation of condensate and the multiphase flow of gas/condensate/water in the reservoir as characterized by relative permeability curves. The appropriate relative permeability curves in turn can be used in reservoir simulators to assist in optimization of field development. This paper reports results of experiments conducted in micromodels, in support of possible core flow tests, using reservoir fluids under reservoir conditions. In particular, visualizations of condensate formation with and without connate water are presented and the differences between the two cases as well as the possible implications for the relative permeability measurements are discussed. Furthermore, the flow of gas and condensate at different force ratios (capillary and Bond numbers) are presented. It is postulated that a single dimensionless number may not be sufficient to characterize the multiphase flow in gas condensate reservoirs. The physical mechanisms occurring under various field conditions are examined in the light of these observations.     

蒸汽发生器干燥器三维流场数值模拟计算

针对压水堆核电厂蒸汽发生器波形板干燥器的结构特点,采用通用计算流体力学软件ANSYS-Fluent中的多孔介质模型对蒸汽发生器用波形板干燥器进行三维流场的数值模拟计算,得到干燥器区域的流场情况以及干燥器孔板入口处蒸汽的流速分布情况,确定在极限工况下干燥器孔板入口处蒸汽的最高流速．在设计蒸汽发生器干燥器时,应确保极限工况下干燥器入口蒸汽的最高流速低于通过试验确定的特定波形板片的临界速度,以确保干燥器的所有区域均工作在其允许的分离能力以内．     

Predictive Pore-Scale Modeling of Single and Multiphase Flow

We show how to predict flow properties for a variety of rocks using pore-scale modeling with geologically realistic networks. The pore space is represented by a topologically disordered lattice of pores connected by throats that have angular cross-sections. We successfully predict single-phase non-Newtonian rheology, and two and three-phase relative permeability for water-wet media. The pore size distribution of the network can be tuned to match capillary pressure data when a network representation of the system of interest is unavailable. The aim of this work is not simply to match experiments, but to use easily acquired data to estimate difficult to measure properties and to predict trends in data for different rock types or displacement sequences.     

具有越流的多层气藏的数值模拟研究

由于沉积的原因 ,油气藏通常由多层组成 ,每层的流体和岩石具有不同的物理性质。本文对打开全部气层进行合采的试井过程以及打开部分层进行合采的试井过程 ,利用有限差分方法编制了模拟试井程序。两层情形的数值解与解析解进行了比较 ,说明了数值方法的正确性。通过对模拟计算结果的分析 ,阐明了井底压力曲线的特点和利用该曲线进行试井解释的方法 ,并说明了气藏层间越流的特点及性状。     

Thermodynamic Automaton Simulations of Fluid Flow and Diffusion in Porous Media

A thermodynamic automaton model of fluid flow in porous media is presented. The model is a nonrelativistic version of a Lorentz invariant lattice gas model constructed by Udey et al. (1998). In the previous model it was shown that the energy momentum tensor and the relativistic Boltzman equation can be rigorously derived from the collision and propagation rules. In the present paper we demonstrate that this nonrelativistic model can be used to accurately simulate well known results involving single phase flow and diffusion in porous media. The simulation results show that (1) one-phase flow simulations in porous media are consistent with Darcy's law; (2) the apparent diffusion coefficient decreases with a decrease in permeability; (3) small scale heterogeneity does not affect diffusion significantly in the cases considered.     

Numerical Simulation of Thermal and Concentration Natural Convection in a Porous Cavity in the Presence of an Opposing Flow

Two-dimensional steady-state thermal concentration convection in a rectangular porous cavity is simulated numerically. The temperature and concentration gradients are horizontal and the buoyancy forces act either in the same or in opposite directions. The flow through the porous medium is described by the Darcy-Brinkman or Forchheimer equations. The SIMPLER numerical algorithm based on the finite volume approach is used for solving the problem in the velocity-pressure variables.Numerous series of calculations were carried out over the range Ra _t =3·10⁶ and 3·10⁷, 10^-6 < Da < 1, 1 < N < 20, Le=10 and 100, where Ra, Da, Le, and N are the Rayleigh, Darcy, and Lewis numbers and the buoyancy ratio, respectively. It is shown that the main effect of the presence of the porous medium is to reduce the heat and mass transfer and attenuate the flow field with decrease in permeability. For a certain combination of the Ra, Le, and N numbers the flow has a multicellular structure. The mean Nusselt and Sherwood numbers are presented as functions of the governing parameters.