Stochastic analysis of immiscible displacement in porous media

The interface of two immiscible fluids flowing in porous media may behave in an unstable fashion. This instability is governed by the pore distribution, differential viscosity and interface tension between the two immiscible fluids. This study investigates the factors that control the interface instability at the wetting front. The development of the flow equation is based on the mass balance principle, with boundary conditions such as the velocity continuity and capillary pressure balance at the interface. By assuming that the two-phase fluids in porous media are saturated, a covariance function of the wetting front position is derived by stochastic theory. According to those results, the unstable interface between two immiscible fluids is governed by the fluid velocity and properties such as viscosity and density. The fluid properties that affect the interface instability are expressed as dimensionless parameters, mobility ratio, capillary number and Bond number. If the fluid flow is driven by gravitational force, whether the interface undergoes upward displacement or downward displacement, the variance of the unstable interface decreases with an increasing mobility ratio, increases with increasing capillary number, and decreases with increasing Bond number. For a circumstance in which fluid flow is horizontal, our results demonstrate that the capillary number does not influence the generation of the unstable interface.     

Stochastic analysis of immiscible displacement of the fluids with arbitrary viscosities and its dependence on support scale of hydrological data

Stochastic analysis is commonly used to address uncertainty in the modeling of flow and transport in porous media. In the stochastic approach, the properties of porous media are treated as random functions with statistics obtained from field measurements. Several studies indicate that hydrological properties depend on the scale of measurements or support scales, but most stochastic analysis does not address the effects of support scale on stochastic predictions of subsurface processes. In this work we propose a new approach to study the scale dependence of stochastic predictions. We present a stochastic analysis of immiscible fluid–fluid displacement in randomly heterogeneous porous media. While existing solutions are applicable only to systems in which the viscosity of one phase is negligible compare with the viscosity of the other (water–air systems for example), our solutions can be applied to the immiscible displacement of fluids having arbitrarily viscosities such as NAPL–water and water–oil. Treating intrinsic permeability as a random field with statistics dependant on the permeability support scale (scale of measurements) we obtained, for one-dimensional systems, analytical solutions for the first moments characterizing unbiased predictions (estimates) of system variables, such as the pressure and fluid–fluid interface position, and we also obtained second moments, which characterize the uncertainties associated with such predictions. Next we obtained empirically scale dependent exponential correlation function of the intrinsic permeability that allowed us to study solutions of stochastic equations as a function of the support scale. We found that the first and second moments converge to asymptotic values as the support scale decreases. In our examples, the statistical moments reached asymptotic values for support scale that were approximately 1/10000 of the flow domain size. We show that analytical moment solutions compare well with the results of Monte Carlo simulations for moderately heterogeneous porous media, and that they can be used to study the effects of heterogeneity on the dynamics and stability of immiscible flow.     

Smoothed particle hydrodynamics pore-scale simulations of unstable immiscible flow in porous media

We have conducted a series of high-resolution numerical experiments using the Pair-Wise Force Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (PF-SPH) multiphase flow model. First, we derived analytical expressions relating parameters in the PF-SPH model to the surface tension and static contact angle. Next, we used the model to study viscous fingering, capillary fingering, and stable displacement of immiscible fluids in porous media for a wide range of capillary numbers and viscosity ratios. We demonstrated that the steady state saturation profiles and the boundaries of viscous fingering, capillary fingering, and stable displacement regions compare favorably with micromodel laboratory experimental results. For a displacing fluid with low viscosity, we observed that the displacement pattern changes from viscous fingering to stable displacement with increasing injection rate. When a high viscosity fluid is injected, transition behavior from capillary fingering to stable displacement occurred as the flow rate was increased. These observations are also in agreement with the results of the micromodel laboratory experiments.     

A numerical method for simulating non-Newtonian fluid flow and displacement in porous media

Flow and displacement of non-Newtonian fluids in porous media occurs in many subsurface systems, related to underground natural resource recovery and storage projects, as well as environmental remediation schemes. A thorough understanding of non-Newtonian fluid flow through porous media is of fundamental importance in these engineering applications. Considerable progress has been made in our understanding of single-phase porous flow behavior of non-Newtonian fluids through many quantitative and experimental studies over the past few decades. However, very little research can be found in the literature regarding multi-phase non-Newtonian fluid flow or numerical modeling approaches for such analyses.For non-Newtonian fluid flow through porous media, the governing equations become nonlinear, even under single-phase flow conditions, because effective viscosity for the non-Newtonian fluid is a highly nonlinear function of the shear rate, or the pore velocity. The solution for such problems can in general only be obtained by numerical methods.We have developed a three-dimensional, fully implicit, integral finite difference simulator for single- and multi-phase flow of non-Newtonian fluids in porous/fractured media. The methodology, architecture and numerical scheme of the model are based on a general multi-phase, multi-component fluid and heat flow simulator — TOUGH2. Several rheological models for power-law and Bingham non-Newtonian fluids have been incorporated into the model. In addition, the model predictions on single- and multi-phase flow of the power-law and Bingham fluids have been verified against the analytical solutions available for these problems, and in all the cases the numerical simulations are in good agreement with the analytical solutions. In this presentation, we will discuss the numerical scheme used in the treatment of non-Newtonian properties, and several benchmark problems for model verification.In an effort to demonstrate the three-dimensional modeling capability of the model, a three-dimensional, two-phase flow example is also presented to examine the model results using laboratory and simulation results existing for the three-dimensional problem with Newtonian fluid flow.     

Crossover from capillary fingering to compact invasion for two-phase drainage with stable viscosity ratios

Motivated by a wide range of applications from enhanced oil recovery to carbon dioxide sequestration, we have developed a two-dimensional, pore-level model of immiscible drainage, incorporating viscous, capillary, and gravitational effects. This model has been validated quantitatively, in the very different limits of zero viscosity ratio and zero capillary number; flow patterns from modeling agree well with experiment. For a range of stable viscosity ratios (μ_injected/μ_displaced ? 1), we have increased the capillary number, N_c, and studied the way in which the flows deviate from capillary fingering (the fractal flow of invasion percolation) and become compact for realistic capillary numbers. Results exhibiting this crossover from capillary fingering to compact invasion are presented for the average position of the injected fluid, the fluid–fluid interface, the saturation and fractional flow profiles, and the relative permeabilities. The agreement between our results and earlier theoretical predictions [Blunt M, King MJ, Scher H. Simulation and theory of two-phase flow in porous media. Phys Rev A 1992;46:7680–99; Lenormand R. Flow through porous media: limits of fractal patterns. Proc Roy Soc A 1989;423:159–68; Wilkinson D. Percolation effects in immiscible displacement. Phys Rev A 1986;34:1380–90; Xu B, Yortsos YC, Salin D. Invasion Percolation with viscous forces. Phys Rev E 1998;57:739–51] supports the validity of these general theoretical arguments, which were independent of the details of the porous media in both two and three dimensions.     

Hybrid upwind discretization of nonlinear two-phase flow with gravity

Multiphase flow in porous media is described by coupled nonlinear mass conservation laws. For immiscible Darcy flow of multiple fluid phases, whereby capillary effects are negligible, the transport equations in the presence of viscous and buoyancy forces are highly nonlinear and hyperbolic. Numerical simulation of multiphase flow processes in heterogeneous formations requires the development of discretization and solution schemes that are able to handle the complex nonlinear dynamics, especially of the saturation evolution, in a reliable and computationally efficient manner. In reservoir simulation practice, single-point upwinding of the flux across an interface between two control volumes (cells) is performed for each fluid phase, whereby the upstream direction is based on the gradient of the phase-potential (pressure plus gravity head). This upwinding scheme, which we refer to as Phase-Potential Upwinding (PPU), is combined with implicit (backward-Euler) time discretization to obtain a Fully Implicit Method (FIM). Even though FIM suffers from numerical dispersion effects, it is widely used in practice. This is because of its unconditional stability and because it yields conservative, monotone numerical solutions. However, FIM is not unconditionally convergent. The convergence difficulties are particularly pronounced when the different immiscible fluid phases switch between co-current and counter-current states as a function of time, or (Newton) iteration. Whether the multiphase flow across an interface (between two control-volumes) is co-current, or counter-current, depends on the local balance between the viscous and buoyancy forces, and how the balance evolves in time. The sensitivity of PPU to small changes in the (local) pressure distribution exacerbates the problem. The common strategy to deal with these difficulties is to cut the timestep and try again. Here, we propose a Hybrid-Upwinding (HU) scheme for the phase fluxes, then HU is combined with implicit time discretization to yield a fully implicit method. In the HU scheme, the phase flux is divided into two parts based on the driving force. The viscous-driven and buoyancy-driven phase fluxes are upwinded differently. Specifically, the viscous flux, which is always co-current, is upwinded based on the direction of the total-velocity. The buoyancy-driven flux across an interface is always counter-current and is upwinded such that the heavier fluid goes downward and the lighter fluid goes upward. We analyze the properties of the Implicit Hybrid Upwinding (IHU) scheme. It is shown that IHU is locally conservative and produces monotone, physically-consistent numerical solutions. The IHU solutions show numerical diffusion levels that are slightly higher than those for standard FIM (i.e., implicit PPU). The primary advantage of the IHU scheme is that the numerical overall-flux of a fluid phase remains continuous and differentiable as the flow regime changes between co-current and counter-current conditions. This is in contrast to the standard phase-potential upwinding scheme, in which the overall fractional-flow (flux) function is non-differentiable across the boundary between co-current and counter-current flows.     

Automated contact angle estimation for three-dimensional X-ray microtomography data

Multiphase flow in capillary regimes is a fundamental process in a number of geoscience applications. The ability to accurately define wetting characteristics of porous media can have a large impact on numerical models. In this paper, a newly developed automated three-dimensional contact angle algorithm is described and applied to high-resolution X-ray microtomography data from multiphase bead pack experiments with varying wettability characteristics. The algorithm calculates the contact angle by finding the angle between planes fit to each solid/fluid and fluid/fluid interface in the region surrounding each solid/fluid/fluid contact point. Results show that the algorithm is able to reliably compute contact angles using the experimental data. The in situ contact angles are typically larger than flat surface laboratory measurements using the same material. Wetting characteristics in mixed-wet systems also change significantly after displacement cycles.     

Propagation of seismic waves in patchy-saturated porous media: double-porosity representation

Propagation of harmonic plane waves is studied in a patchy-saturated porous medium. Patchy distribution of the two immiscible fluids is considered in a porous frame with uniform skeletal properties. A composition of two types of patches, connected through continuous paths, constitutes a double-porosity medium. Different compressibilities of pore-fluids in two porous phases facilitate the wave-induced fluid-flow in this composite material. Constitutive relations are considered with frequency-dependent complex elastic coefficients, which define the dissipative behaviour of porous aggregate due to the flow of viscous fluid in connected patches. Relevant equations of motion are solved to explain the propagation of three compressional waves and one shear wave in patchy-saturated porous solids. A numerical example is solved to illustrate dispersion in phase velocity and quality factor of attenuated waves in patchy-saturated porous materials. Role of fluid–solid inertial coupling in Darcy's law is emphasized to keep a check on the dispersion of wave velocities in the porous composite. Effects of patchy saturation on phase velocities and quality factors of attenuation are analysed using the double-porosity formulation as well as the reduced single-porosity equivalents.     

TCAT Analysis of Capillary Pressure in Non-equilibrium, Two-fluid-phase, Porous Medium Systems

Standard models of flow of two immiscible fluids in a porous medium make use of an expression for the dependence of capillary pressure on the saturation of a fluid phase. Data to support the mathematical expression is most often obtained through a sequence of equilibrium experiments. In addition to such expressions being hysteretic, recent experimental and theoretical studies have suggested that the equilibrium functional forms obtained may be inadequate for modeling dynamic systems. This situation has led to efforts to express relaxation of a system to an equilibrium capillary pressure in relation to the rate of change of saturation. Here, based on insights gained from the thermodynamically constrained averaging theory (TCAT) we propose that dynamic processes are related to changes in interfacial area between phases as well as saturation. A more complete formulation of capillary pressure dynamics is presented leading to an equation that is suitable for experimental study.     

Direct numerical simulations of interface dynamics to link capillary pressure and total surface energy

The flow of two immiscible fluids through a porous medium depends on the complex interplay between gravity, capillarity, and viscous forces. The interaction between these forces and the geometry of the medium gives rise to a variety of complex flow regimes that are difficult to describe using continuum models. Although a number of pore-scale models have been employed, a careful investigation of the macroscopic effects of pore-scale processes requires methods based on conservation principles in order to reduce the number of modeling assumptions. In this work we perform direct numerical simulations of drainage by solving Navier–Stokes equations in the pore space and employing the Volume Of Fluid (VOF) method to track the evolution of the fluid–fluid interface. After demonstrating that the method is able to deal with large viscosity contrasts and model the transition from stable flow to viscous fingering, we focus on the macroscopic capillary pressure and we compare different definitions of this quantity under quasi-static and dynamic conditions. We show that the difference between the intrinsic phase-average pressures, which is commonly used as definition of Darcy-scale capillary pressure, is subject to several limitations and it is not accurate in presence of viscous effects or trapping. In contrast, a definition based on the variation of the total surface energy provides an accurate estimate of the macroscopic capillary pressure. This definition, which links the capillary pressure to its physical origin, allows a better separation of viscous effects and does not depend on the presence of trapped fluid clusters.     

Parallel numerical simulation of two-phase flow model in porous media using distributed and shared memory architectures

A two-phase (water and oil) flow model in a homogeneous porous media is studied, considering immiscible and incompressible displacement. This model is numerically solved using the Finite Volume Method (FVM) and we compare four numerical schemes for the approximation of fluxes on the faces of the discrete volumes. We describe briefly how to obtain the mathematical and computational models applying axiomatic formulations and generic programming. Two strategies of parallelization are implemented in order to reduce the execution time. We study distributed (cluster of CPUs) and shared (Graphics Processing Units) memory architectures. A performance comparison of these two architectures is done along with an analysis of the four numerical schemes, for a water-flooding five-spot pattern model.     

Investigation of earthquake mechanisms and their impact on certain basic concepts in earthquake engineering and seismology

In this paper, mantle circulation flow, continental drift, earthquake origin and other mechanical principles are examined as they apply to earthquake engineering, seismology and dynamics of fluid saturated porous medium. The relationship of mantle flow to earthquakes is examined and clarified, and a new model, different from Haskell’s, is proposed for the earthquake mechanism. The proposed new model is based on the discovery that two pairs of jump stress and jump velocity will start to act from the fault plane. Records obtained directly from recent earthquakes nearby and right on the fault break show a very large velocity impulse, which verify, indirectly, the new mechanism proposed by the author. Further, at least two physical parameters that characterize the seismic intensity must be specified, because according to the discontinuous (jump) wave theory, at the earthquake source, the stress jump and the velocity jump of particle motion should act simultaneously when a sudden break occurs. The third key parameter is shown to be the break (fracture) propagation speed together with the break plane area. This parameter influences the form of the unloading time function at the source. The maximum seismic stress in and displacement of a building are estimated for two unfavorable combinations of the building and its base ground in terms of their relative rigidity. Finally, it is shown that Biot’s theory of wave propagation in fluid saturated porous media is valid only when fluid flow cannot occur.     

A stochastic model for air injection into saturated porous media

Air injection into porous media is investigated by laboratory experiments and numerical modelling. Typical applications of air injection into a granular bed are aerated bio-filters and air sparging of aquifers. The first stage of the dynamic process consists of air injection into a fixed or a quasi-fixed water-saturated granular bed. Later stages could include stages of movable beds as well, but are not further investigated here. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted in a two-dimensional box of the size 60 cm × 38 cm × 0.55 cm consisting of glass walls and using glass beads of diameter 0.4–0.6 mm as granular material. The development of the air flow pattern was optically observed and registered using a digital video camera. The resulting transient air flow pattern can be characterized as channelled flow in a fixed porous medium with dynamic tree-like evolution behaviour. Attempts are undertaken to model the air injection process. Multiphase pore-scale modelling is currently disregarded since it is restricted to very small scales. Invasion percolation models taking into account gravity effects are usually restricted to slow processes. On the other hand a continuum-type two-phase flow modelling approach is not able to simulate the observed air flow pattern. Instead a stochastic continuum-type approach is discussed here, which incorporates pore-scale features on a subscale, relevant for the immiscible processes involved. Consequently, the physical process can be modelled in a stochastic manner only, where the single experiment represents one of many possible realizations. However, the present procedure retains realistic water and air saturation patterns and therefore produces similar finger lengths and widths as observed in the experiments. Monte Carlo type modelling leads to ensemble mean water saturation and the related variance.     

Pore scale modeling of immiscible and miscible fluid flows using smoothed particle hydrodynamics

A numerical model based on smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) was developed and used to simulate immiscible and miscible fluid flows in porous media and to study effects of pore scale heterogeneity and anisotropy on such flows.     

基于数字岩心动态应力应变模拟的非均匀孔隙介质波致流固相对运动刻画

地震波传播激发的不同尺度的流固相对运动(宏观、中观和微观)是许多沉积岩地层中地震波频散和衰减的主要原因,然而野外观测和试验测量都难以对非均匀多孔介质孔隙压力弛豫物理过程进行精细刻画.通过数字岩石物理技术,本文建立了三个典型的数字岩心分别用于表征孔隙结构、岩石骨架和斑状饱和流体引起的非均质性,利用动态应力应变模拟技术计算数字岩心的位移和孔隙流体增量图像.通过分析和比较三个数字岩心的位移和孔隙压力增量图像,细致刻画了发生于非均匀含流体多孔介质内的宏观、中观和微观尺度的流固相对运动:1)宏观尺度的波致孔隙流体流动导致波长尺度上数字岩心不同区域的孔隙压力和位移差异;2)中观尺度的流体流动发生在软层与硬层之间、气层与液层之间;3)微观尺度的流体流动发生在孔隙内部或相邻孔隙之间.数值模拟试验也证明基于数字岩心的动态应力应变模拟技术可以从微观尺度上更好的理解波致孔隙流体流动发生的物理机理,从而为建立岩石骨架、孔隙流体、孔隙结构非均质性和弹性波频散-衰减特征的映射关系奠定基础.     

非混溶饱和两相渗流与孔隙介质耦合作用的理论研究——数学模型

基于连续介质力学的一般理论,在黑油多相渗流理论模型的基础上,推导了非混溶饱和两相渗流与变形孔隙介质耦合作用的数学模型方程,并对流固耦合效应进行了初步的讨论     

Pore-scale imbibition experiments in dry and prewetted porous media

Two-phase imbibition behavior of immiscible fluids was studied in dry and prewetted porous media using a laser-induced fluorescence technique. Imbibition was first investigated in two-dimensional (2-D) systems under conditions comparable to those for a study of drainage [Ovdat H, Berkowitz B. Pore-scale study of drainage displacement under combined capillary and gravity effects in index-matched porous media. Water Resources Research 2006;42:W06411. doi:10.1029/2005WR004553] in the capillary-dominated regime. The effect of initial wetting saturation (IWS) was then explored in 2-D and 3-D porous media under the combined effect of gravity, capillary and viscous forces, within and outside the capillary-dominated regime. Parameters that describe maximum vertical advance, volumetric fraction, total surface area and specific surface area of the invading fluid were used to quantify the behavior. Comparison of 2-D drainage and imbibition patterns demonstrates significant qualitative differences under analogous viscosity ratio, buoyancy number, and capillary number values. However, quantitative analyses show strong pore-scale similarities between these patterns. Invasion structures in 3-D, prewetted (IWS ≈ 8% of the pore volume) porous media are ramified, with lateral branching and regions containing trapped residual fluid. These structures are qualitatively and quantitatively different from the compact, branchless structures that develop in dry (IWS = 0) porous media.     

Chaotic advection at the pore scale: Mechanisms,upscaling and implications for macroscopic transport

The macroscopic spreading and mixing of solute plumes in saturated porous media is ultimately controlled by processes operating at the pore scale. Whilst the conventional picture of pore-scale mechanical dispersion and molecular diffusion leading to persistent hydrodynamic dispersion is well accepted, this paradigm is inherently two-dimensional (2D) in nature and neglects important three-dimensional (3D) phenomena. We discuss how the kinematics of steady 3D flow at the pore scale generate chaotic advection—involving exponential stretching and folding of fluid elements—the mechanisms by which it arises and implications of microscopic chaos for macroscopic dispersion and mixing. Prohibited in steady 2D flow due to topological constraints, these phenomena are ubiquitous due to the topological complexity inherent to all 3D porous media. Consequently 3D porous media flows generate profoundly different fluid deformation and mixing processes to those of 2D flow. The interplay of chaotic advection and broad transit time distributions can be incorporated into a continuous-time random walk (CTRW) framework to predict macroscopic solute mixing and spreading. We show how these results may be generalised to real porous architectures via a CTRW model of fluid deformation, leading to stochastic models of macroscopic dispersion and mixing which both honour the pore-scale kinematics and are directly conditioned on the pore-scale architecture.     

Modeling the velocity field during Haines jumps in porous media

When nonwetting fluid displaces wetting fluid in a porous rock many rapid pore-scale displacement events occur. These events are often referred to as Haines jumps and any drainage process in porous media is an ensemble of such events. However, the relevance of Haines jumps for larger scale models is often questioned. A common counter argument is that the high fluid velocities caused by a Haines jump would average-out when a bulk representative volume is considered. In this work, we examine this counter argument in detail and investigate the transient dynamics that occur during a Haines jump. In order to obtain fluid–fluid displacement data in a porous geometry, we use a micromodel system equipped with a high speed camera and couple the results to a pore-scale modeling tool called the Direct HydroDynamic (DHD) simulator. We measure the duration of a Haines jump and the distance over which fluid velocities are influenced because this sets characteristic time and length scales for fluid–fluid displacement. The simulation results are validated against experimental data and then used to explore the influence of interfacial tension and nonwetting phase viscosity on the speed of a Haines jump. We find that the speed decreases with increasing nonwetting phase viscosity or decreasing interfacial tension; however, for the same capillary number the reduction in speed can differ by an order of magnitude or more depending on whether viscosity is increased or interfacial tension is reduced. Therefore, the results suggest that capillary number alone cannot explain pore-scale displacement. One reason for this is that the interfacial and viscous forces associated with fluid–fluid displacement act over different length scales, which are not accounted for in the pore-scale definition of capillary number. We also find by analyzing different pore morphologies that the characteristic time scale of a Haines jump is dependent on the spatial configuration of fluid prior to an event. Simulation results are then used to measure the velocity field surrounding a Haines jump and thus, measure the zone of influence, which extends over a distance greater than a single pore. Overall, we find that the time and length scales of a Haines jump are inversely proportional, which is important to consider when calculating the spatial and temporal averages of pore-scale parameters during fluid–fluid displacement.     

Induced Groundwater Flux by Increases in the Aquifer's Total Stress

Fluid‐filled granular soils experience changes in total stress because of earth and oceanic tides, earthquakes, erosion, sedimentation, and changes in atmospheric pressure. The pore volume may deform in response to the changes in stress and this may lead to changes in pore fluid pressure. The transient fluid flow can therefore be induced by the gradient in excess pressure in a fluid‐saturated porous medium. This work demonstrates the use of stochastic methodology in prediction of induced one‐dimensional field‐scale groundwater flow through a heterogeneous aquifer. A closed‐form of mean groundwater flux is developed to quantify the induced field‐scale mean behavior of groundwater flow and analyze the impacts of the spatial correlation length scale of log hydraulic conductivity and the pore compressibility. The findings provided here could be useful for the rational planning and management of groundwater resources in aquifers that contain lenses with large vertical aquifer matrix compressibility values.