Stability of vertical miscible displacements with developing density and viscosity gradients

Viscous fingering and gravity tonguing are the consequences of an unstable miscible displacement. Chang and Slattery (1986) performed a linear stability analysis for a miscible displacement considering only the effect of viscosity. Here the effect of gravity is included as well for either a step change or a graduated change in concentration at the injection face during a downward, vertical displacement. If both the mobility ratio and the density ratio are favorable (the viscosity of the displacing fluid is greater than the viscosity of the displaced fluid and, for a downward vertical displacement, the density of the displacing fluid is less than the density of the displaced fluid), the displacement will be stable. If either the mobility ratio or the density ratio is unfavorable, instabilities can form at the injection boundary as the result of infinitesimal perturbations. But if the concentration is changed sufficiently slowly with time at the entrance to the system, the displacement can be stabilized, even if both the mobility ratio and the density ratio are unfavorable. A displacement is more likely to be stable as the aspect ratio (ratio of thickness to width, which is assumed to be less than one) is increased. Commonly the laboratory tests supporting a field trial use nearly the same fluids, porous media, and displacement rates as the field trial they are intended to support. For the laboratory test, the aspect ratio may be the order of one; for the field trial, it may be two orders of magnitude smaller. This means that a laboratory test could indicate that a displacement was stable, while an unstable displacement may be observed in the field.     

A linear stability analysis for immiscible displacements

A linear stability analysis has been performed for an immiscible displacement of a nonwetting phase by a wetting phase in a semi-infinite system of finite width and thickness. It is found that instabilities become a more severe problem as the capillary number based upon the characteristic thickness of the system increases. A displacement can always be stabilized, if the capillary number is sufficiently small. As the aspect ratio (ratio of thickness to width) decreases for a fixed capillary number, the potential for unstable behavior increases. All of this means that a displacement in the laboratory is likely to be more stable than a similar displacement in the field. Since the solution to the base state assumes the analytical solution of Yortsos and Fokas (1983), the effect of the mobility ratio could not be examined.     

The effect of dispersion model on the linear stability of miscible displacement in porous media

Chang and Slattery (1986, 1988b) introduced a simplified model of dispersion that contains only two empirical parameters. The traditional model of dispersion (Nikolaevskii, 1959; Bear, 1961; Scheidegger, 1961; de Josselin de Jong and Bossen, 1961; Peaceman, 1966; Bear, 1972) has three empirical parameters, two of which can be measured in one-dimensional experiments while the third, the transverse dispersivity, must be measured in experiments in which a two-dimensional concentration profile develops. It is found that nearly the same linear stability behavior results from using either model.     

On the modelling of miscible displacements in porous media with stagnant fluid

Equations of miscible fluids displacement in porous media presenting a capacitance effect, i.e., porous media with a mobile fraction and a stagnant fraction, are derived by means of a volume or a surface averaging technique in the case of high Peclet numbers. The models thus obtained are constituted by two coupled equations. The first is a convective-dispersive equation related to the transfer in mobile fraction; the second is a first-order rate expression describing mass transfer between the mobile and immobile regions. These derivations justify the equations which can be obtained by means of an heuristic approach and specify their conditions of validity.These models are compared to the models in which the second equation is a diffusion equation; the latter are shown to be erroneous.     

Onset of viscous fingering for miscible liquid-liquid displacements in porous media

The displacement of one fluid by another miscible fluid in porous media is an important phenomenon that occurs in petroleum engineering, in groundwater movement, and in the chemical industry. This paper presents a recently developed stability criterion which applies to the most general miscible displacement. Under special conditions, different expressions for the onset of fingering given in the literature can be obtained from the universally applicable criterion. In particular, it is shown that the commonly used equation to predict the stable velocity ignores the effects of dispersion on viscous fingering.Nomenclature C Solvent concentration - Unperturbed solvent concentration - D _L Longitudinal dispersion coefficient [m²/s] - D _T Transverse dispersion coefficient [m²/s] - g Gravitational acceleration [m/s²] - I _sr Instability number - k Permeability [m²] - K Ratio of transverse to longitudinal dispersion coefficient - L Length of the porous medium [m] - L _x Width of the porous medium [m] - L _y Height of the porous medium [m] - M Mobility ratio - V Superficial velocity [m/s] - V _c Critical velocity [m/s] - V _s Velocity at the onset of instability [m/s] - µ Viscosity [Pa/s] - Unperturbed viscosity [Pa/s] - µ ₀,µ _s Viscosities of oil and solvent, respectively [Pa/s] - Density [kg/m³] - ₀, _s Densities of oil and solvent, respectively [kg/m³] - Porosity - Dimensionless length     

Stability analysis of the moving interface in piston- and non-piston-like displacements

From the macroscopic point of view, expressions involving reservoir and operational parameters are established for investigating the stability of moving interface in piston- and non-piston-like displacements. In the case of axisymmetrical piston-like displacement, the stability is related to the moving interface position and water to oil mobility ratio. The capillary effect on the stability of moving interface depends on whether or not the moving interface is already stable and correlates with the wettability of the reservoir rock. In the case of non-piston-like displacement, the stability of the front is governed by both the relative permeability and the mobility ratio.     

An extended theory to predict the onset of viscous instabilities for miscible displacements in porous media

Many enhanced oil recovery schemes involve the displacement of oil by a miscible fluid. Whether a displacement is stable or unstable has a profound effect on how efficiently a solvent displaces oil within a reservoir. That is, if viscous fingers are present, the displacement efficiency and, hence, the economic return of the recovery scheme is seriously impaired bacause of macroscopic bypassing of the oil. As a consequence, it is of interest to be able to predict the boundary which separates stable displacements from those which are unstable.This paper presents a dimensionless scaling group for predicting the onset of hydrodynamic instability of a miscible displacement in porous media. An existing linear perturbation analysis was extended in order to obtain the scaling group. The new scaling group differs from those obtained in previous studies because it takes into account a variable unperturbed concentration profile, both transverse dimensions of the porous medium, and both the longitudinal and the transverse dispersion coefficient.It has been shown that stability criteria derived in the literature are special cases of the general condition given here. Therefore, the stability criterion obtained in this study should be used for a displacement conducted under arbitrary conditions. The stability criterion is verified by comparing it with miscible displacement experiments carried out in a Hele-Shaw cell. Moreover, a comparison of the theory with some porous medium experiments from the literature also supports the validity of the theory.Nomenclature c solvent concentration - C _g fractional glycerine volume - D molecular diffusion coefficient, cm²/s - D _L longitudinal dispersion coefficient, cm²/s - D _T transverse dispersion coefficient, cm²/s - g gravitational acceleration, cm/s² - h distance between the plates, cm - I _sr dimensionless scaling group - k permeability, cm² - L _x width of the porous medium, cm - L _y height of the porous medium, cm - t time, s - u velocity in thex direction, cm/s - v velocity in they direction, cm/s - V displacement velocity, cm/s - w velocity in thez direction, cm/s - z length of the graded viscosity bank, cm - eigenvalue in thex direction - eigenvalue in they direction - wave number - viscosity, poise - density, g/cc - time constant, s^-1 - porosity     

非线性粘弹性板的失稳条件

研究了给定面内周期激励作用下简支各向同性均匀粘弹性板平衡失稀问题,板的材料特性由Leaderman非线性本构关系描述,将板的动力学方程进行（Galerkin截断得到简化数学模型为弱非线性系统,采用平均法得到系统的平均化方程,对平均化方程进行稳定性分析得到了板平衡失稳的解析条件,对原系统用数值仿真进行研究,数值结果表明,随着激励幅值的增加或粘弹性材料系数的减少,系统平衡点推失稳,激励幅值和粘弹性材料系数的临界值均与解析结果接近。     

Nonlinear aeroelastic coupled trim and stability analysis of rotor-fuselage

Based on the Hamilton principle and the moderate deflection beam theory, discretizing the helicopter blade into a number of beam elements with 15 degrees of freedora, and using a quasi-steady aero-model, a nonlinear coupled rotor/fuselage equation is established. A periodic solution of blades and fuselage is obtained through aeroelastic coupled trim using the temporal finite element method （TEM）. The Peters dynamic inflow model is used for vehicle stability. A program for computation is developed, which produces the blade responses, hub loads, and rotor pitch controls. The correlation between the analytical results and related literature is good. The converged solution simultaneously satisfies the blade and the vehicle equilibrium equations.     

The equations of miscible flow with negligible molecular diffusion

A set of equations with generalized permeability functions has been proposed by de la Cruz and Spanos, Whitaker, and Kalaydjian to describe three-dimensional immiscible two-phase flow. We have employed the zero interfacial tension limit of these equations to model two phase miscible flow with negligible molecular diffusion. A solution to these equations is found; we find the generalized permeabilities to depend upon two empirically determined functions of saturation which we denote asA andB. This solution is also used to analyze how dispersion arises in miscible flow; in particular we show that the dispersion evolves at a constant rate. In turn this permits us to predict and understand the asymmetry and long tailing in breakthrough curves, and the scale and fluid velocity dependence of the longitudinal dispersion coefficient. Finally, we illustrate how an experimental breakthrough curve can be used to infer the saturation dependence of the underlying functionsA andB.Roman Letters A a surface area; cross-sectional area of a slim tube or core - A _1s pore scale area of interface between solid and fluid 1 - A ₁₂ pore scale area of interface between fluid 1 and fluid 2 - A(S ₁) fluid flow weighting function defined by Equation (3.21) - a _i ,b _a ,c _a ,d _i macro scale parameters,i=1...2 (Section 3); polynomial coefficients,i=1...N (Section 7) - B(S ₁) fluid flow weighting function defined by Equation (3.16) - c _e effluent concentration - c _i mass concentration fluidi=1...2 - c _fi fractional mass concentration of fluidi=1...2 - D dispersion tensor - D _m mechanical dispersion tensor - D ₀ molecular dispersion tensor - D _L longitudinal dispersion coefficient - D _T transverse dispersion coefficient - D _L ⁰ defined by Equation (6.21) - F(c _f2) defined by Equation (5.17) - f ₁(S ₁) fractional flow - g acceleration of gravity - j ₂ deviation mass flux of fluid 2 - K permeability of porous medium - K _ij generalized relative permeability function,i=1...2,j=1...2 - K _ri relative permeability functions,i=1...2 - L length of a slim tube or core - M _i total mass of fluidi=1...2 in volumeV - N number of points used to generate numerical curves - n unit normal to a surface - P pressure - P _i pressure in fluidi=1...2 - P _c capillary pressure - P ₁₂ macroscopic capillary pressure parameter - P(x) normal distribution function - q Darcy velocity of total fluid - q _i Darcy velocity of fluidi=1...2 - S _i saturation of fluidi=1...2 - S _L a low saturation value forS ₁ - S _H a high saturation value forS ₁ - u average intersitial fluid velocity - u _S isosaturation velocity - V volume used for volume averaging - V(c _f2) function defined by Equation (6.28) - V _e effluent volume - V _f fluid volume - V _i volume of fluidi=1...2 (Section 2); injected fluid volume - V _p pore volume of a slim tube or core - v macro scale fluid velocity - v _i macro scale velocity of fluidi=1...2 - _q (S ₁) isosaturation speed - _g (S ₁) component of isosaturation velocity due to gravity - w(S _L,S _H,t) width of a displacement front - w(t) overall width of a displacement front Greek Letters static interfacial tension - _ME macroscopic dispersivity - divergence operator - porosity - _i fraction of pore space occupied by fluidi=1...2 - (S ₁) effective viscosity of the fluid - _i viscosity of fluidi=1...2 - ₁₂ macroscopic fluid viscosity coupling parameter - macro scale fluid density - _i density of fluid i=1...2 - _q effective gravitational fluid density     

同心旋转圆柱间弱弹性流的非线性稳定性分析

基于同心旋转圆柱间Ｏｌｄｒｏｙｄ－Ｂ型流体的六维动力系统,探讨了小间隙大扰动条件下高分子添加剂对滑动轴承间油膜非线性稳定性的影响。结果表明,弱弹性流体的失稳结构与牛顿流体相似,随着转速的增加,流体以同宿轨道分岔失稳,与牛顿流体相比,少量的高分子添加剂具有推迟流体层流的稳的作用。     

A computerized technique for measuringin-situ concentrations during miscible displacements in porous media

A technique for measurement of thein-situ concentration in an unconsolidated porous medium has been developed. The method involves measurement of electrical conductivityin-situ, under dynamic conditions, for flow involving brine of differing concentrations, at selected locations along the porous medium and relating it to the brine strength. Data acquisition and analysis is carried out using a Hewlett — Packard micro-computer and its interface. A user-friendly software was designed and developed for the system. The measurement technique was evaluated by studying the effect of brine concentration, brine flow rate, and by conducting miscible displacements experiment. The experimentally measured dispersion coefficients for the porous medium agreed closely with the value predicted by the correlation available in the literature.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of miscible fingering in porous media

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) can noninvasively map the spatial distribution of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)-sensitive nuclei. This can be utilized to investigate the transport of fluids (and solute molecules) in three-dimensional model systems. In this study, MRI was applied to the buoyancy-driven transport of aqueous solutions, across an unstable interface in a three-dimensional box model in the limit of a small Péclet number (Pe<0.4). It is demonstrated that MRI is capable of distinguishing between convective transport (fingering) and molecular diffusion and is able to quantify these processes. The results indicate that for homogeneous porous media, the total fluid volume displaced through the interface and the amplitude of the fastest growing finger are linearly correlated with time. These linear relations yielded mean and maximal displacement velocities which are related by a constant dimensionless value (2.4±0.1). The mean displacement velocity (U) allows us to calculate the media permeability which was consistent between experiments (1.4±0.1×10^–7cm²).U is linearly correlated with the initial density gradient, as predicted by theory. An extrapolation of the density gradient to zero velocity enables an approximate determination of the critical density gradient for the onset of instability in our system (0.9±0.3×10^–3 g/cm³), a value consistent with the value predicted by a calculation based upon the modified Rayleigh number. These results suggest that MRI can be used to study complex fluid patterns in three-dimensional box models, offering a greater flexibility for the simulation of natural conditions than conventional experimental modelling methods.     

Velocity fields and streamline patterns of miscible displacements in cylindrical tubes

Displacements of a viscous fluid by a miscible fluid of a lesser viscosity and density in cylindrical tubes were investigated experimentally. Details of velocity and Stokes streamline fields in vertical tubes were measured using a DPIV (digital particle image velocimetry) technique. In a reference frame moving with the fingertip, the streamline patterns around the fingertip obtained from the present measurements confirm the hypothesis of Taylor (1961) for the external patterns, and that of Petitjeans and Maxworthy (1996) for the internal patterns. As discussed in these papers, the dependent variable, m, a measure of the volume of viscous fluid left on the tube wall after the passage of the displacing finger, is a parameter that determines the flow pattern. When m>0.5 there is one stagnation point at the tip of the finger; when m<0.5 there are two stagnation points on the centerline, one at the tip and the other inside the fingertip, and a stagnation ring on the finger surface with a toroidal recirculation in the fingertip between the two stagnation points. The finger profile is obtained from the zero streamline of the streamline pattern.An erratum to this article can be found at     

Nonlinear stability and bifurcations of symmetric heavy gyroscope

The complete solutions of the upright and oblique permanent rotations of a symmetric heavy gyroscope with perfect dissipation are given. The asymptotic stability criteria and unstability criteria for these rotations in the sense of Liapunov and the sense of Movchan are also given on the basis of exact nonlinear motion equations respectively. The related oblique rotations are non-isolated. The main subdomains of the regions of asymptotic stability are obtained. The related bifurcation phenomena are discussed in detail. The project is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.     

A direct boundary-layer stability analysis of steady-state cavity convection flow

Natural convection flow in cavities with insulated top and bottom and heated and cooled walls is known to exhibit travelling wave instabilities in the thermal boundary layers that form on the walls. In water (Pr = 7.5) at Rayleigh number Ra = 6 × 10⁸, these waves have been observed at start-up. However no such waves have been observed for the fully developed flow, although it may be assumed that the stability character of the boundary layers is at least approximately the same. The start-up waves are generated by perturbations to the system. In the present paper, an artificial perturbation is applied to the system to determine the stability character of the boundary layers in fully developed flow. It is shown that the thermal boundary layers in the fully developed flow have approximately the same stability character as the start-up flow.     

Numerical study of the linear stability of immiscible displacement in porous media

In this paper the linear stability of immiscible displacement in porous media is examined by numerical methods. The method of matched initial value problems is used to solve the eigenvalue problem for displacement processes pertaining to initially mobile phases. Both non capillary and capillary displacement in rectilinear flow geometries is studied. The results obtained are in agreement with recent asymptotic studies. A sensitivity analysis with respect to process parameters is carried out. Similarities and differences with the stability of Hele-Shaw flows are delineated.This is a revised version of paper SPE 13163, presented at the 59th Annual Technical Conference of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Houston, Texas, 16–19 Sept. 1984.