Disconnected Gas Transport in Steady‐State Three‐Phase Flow
Disconnected Gas Transport in Steady‐State Three‐Phase Flow
复制标题
稳态三相流中的断开气体传输
作者：
Abdulla Alhosani;A. Selem;Q. Lin;B. Bijeljic;M. Blunt
我们使用高分辨率的三维X射线微层析成像技术研究了cm大小的水湿砂岩样品在稳态三相流动过程中的流体位移。测量样品上的压差，从而可以确定相对渗透率；毛细压力也由界面曲率估计。虽然测量的相对渗透率在实验不确定度内是一致的，但在较大的样品上没有成像获得的值，我们发现了独特的流动动力学。最非润湿相（气体）在整个系统中断开：气体通过定期打开中等大小孔隙中的关键流动通道流动。虽然这种现象已经在两相流中被观察到，但在低流速下，毛细力在孔隙尺度上占主导地位，这一现象尤为显著。气体运移是在一系列双重或多重驱替事件中进行的。本文讨论了设计三相流过程和当前经验模型的意义：基于两相流类比的传统三相动力学概念化大大高估了气相的连通性和流动潜力。
We use high‐resolution three‐dimensional X‐ray microtomography to investigate fluid displacement during steady‐state three‐phase flow in a cm‐sized water‐wet sandstone rock sample. The pressure differential across the sample is measured which enables the determination of relative permeability; capillary pressure is also estimated from the interfacial curvature. Though the measured relative permeabilities are consistent, to within experimental uncertainty, with values obtained without imaging on larger samples, we discover a unique flow dynamics. The most non‐wetting phase (gas) is disconnected across the system: gas flows by periodically opening critical flow pathways in intermediate‐sized pores. While this phenomenon has been observed in two‐phase flow, here it is significant at low flow rates, where capillary forces dominate at the pore‐scale. Gas movement proceeds in a series of double and multiple displacement events. Implications for the design of three‐phase flow processes and current empirical models are discussed: the traditional conceptualization of three‐phase dynamics based on analogies to two‐phase flow vastly over‐estimates the connectivity and flow potential of the gas phase.
DOI：
10.1073/pnas.1221373110
发表时间：
2013-03-05
影响因子：
11.1
作者：
Berg, Steffen;Ott, Holger;Stampanoni, Marco
通讯作者：
Stampanoni, Marco
影响因子：
4.7
作者：
Lin, Qingyang;Al-Khulaifi, Yousef;Bijeljic, Branko
通讯作者：
Bijeljic, Branko