Experimental study on the residual saturation of multiphase flow in porous media by using X-Ray image inspired Micromodel
Abstract
We used PDMS micromodels with patterns based on X-Ray CT images from a natural porous media. The models are used for two- and three-phase flow experiments. We observed the interplay between wetting and non-wetting liquids by a high-speed camera during imbibition and drainage under different injection rates for different capillary numbers. The recorded images were used to quantify the relationship between residual saturations and injection rates. The results indicate that, in the two-phase flow experiments, the wetting fluid completely displaced the non-wetting fluid due to the capillary dominated corner flow. The residual saturation increased with the increase of the injection flow rate under drainage due to the preferential flow path. The results of the three-phase flow imbibition indicate that the oil residual phase drainage rate increases with the injection flow rate when the water displaced the oil and the residual air. However, the air residual saturation increases with the increase of the injection flow rate during the imbibition process. It should be related to the simultaneously drainage and imbibition processes. The visualization experiments with X-ray inspired micro-models can reveal the complicated mechanism of the residual phase formation in the natural porous medium.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFM.H33N2180P
- Keywords:
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- 1847 Modeling;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 1859 Rocks: physical properties;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 5104 Fracture and flow;
- PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF ROCKS;
- 5139 Transport properties;
- PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF ROCKS