On the dynamics and kinematics of two‐fluid‐phase flow in porous media

Gray, William G.; Dye, A. L.; McClure, James E.; Pyrak‐Nolte, L. J.; Miller, Cass T.

doi:10.1002/2015wr016921

Cited by 54 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Macroscale models to predict the rate of change in saturation are therefore of great interest, and an area of active research. Among the quantities of interest are the kinematic velocities of the interfaces and the common curve (Gray et al 2015). Accurate calculation of these quantities is often hindered by the presence of spurious currents that arise in the vicinity of interfaces as a consequence of numerical instabilities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracking interface and common curve dynamics for two-fluid flow in porous media

et al. 2016

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The movements of fluid-fluid interfaces and the common curve are an important aspect of two-fluid-phase flow through porous media. The focus of this work is to develop, apply and evaluate methods to simulate two-fluid-phase flow in porous medium systems at the microscale and to demonstrate how these results can be used to support evolving macroscale models. Of particular concern is the problem of spurious velocities that confound the accurate representation of interfacial dynamics in such systems. To circumvent this problem, a combined level-set and lattice-Boltzmann method is advanced to simulate and track the dynamics of the fluid-fluid interface and of the common curve during simulations of two-fluid-phase flow in porous media. We demonstrate that the interface and common curve velocities can be determined accurately, even when spurious currents are generated in the vicinity of interfaces. Static and dynamic contact angles are computed and shown to agree with existing slip models. A resolution study is presented for dynamic drainage and imbibition in a sphere pack, demonstrating the sensitivity of averaged quantities to resolution.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracking interface and common curve dynamics for two-fluid flow in porous media

et al. 2016

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“…Model predictions made directly on images of small rock samples may provide data that would be much more difficult to obtain using traditional experimental methods [2][3][4]. The full potential of pore-scale simulation can only be realized if models of increasing accuracy honoring both the multiphase flow dynamics and the rock geometry are available.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pore-scale modeling of phase change in porous media

Cueto‐Felgueroso

Juanes

2018

Phys. Rev. Fluids

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The combination of high-resolution visualization techniques and pore-scale flow modeling is a powerful tool used to understand multiphase flow mechanisms in porous media and their impact on reservoir-scale processes. One of the main open challenges in pore-scale modeling is the direct simulation of flows involving multicomponent mixtures with complex phase behavior. Reservoir fluid mixtures are often described through cubic equations of state, which makes diffuse-interface, or phase-field, theories particularly appealing as a modeling framework. What is still unclear is whether equation-of-state-driven diffuse-interface models can adequately describe processes where surface tension and wetting phenomena play important roles. Here we present a diffuse-interface model of single-component two-phase flow (a van der Waals fluid) in a porous medium under different wetting conditions. We propose a simplified Darcy-Korteweg model that is appropriate to describe flow in a Hele-Shaw cell or a micromodel, with a gap-averaged velocity. We study the ability of the diffuse-interface model to capture capillary pressure and the dynamics of vaporization-condensation fronts and show that the model reproduces pressure fluctuations that emerge from abrupt interface displacements (Haines jumps) and from the breakup of wetting films.

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“…TCAT diverges from this common approach by formulating dynamic conservation and balance equations for all entities (phases, interfaces, common curves, and common points) such that all entities have properties themselves. This approach has been shown to enable higher fidelity models [21]. This approach also produces models with more equations that must be closed and solved.…”

Section: Element Use Referencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermodynamically Constrained Averaging Theory: Principles, Model Hierarchies, and Deviation Kinetic Energy Extensions

Miller

Gray

Kees

2018

Entropy

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Abstract:The thermodynamically constrained averaging theory (TCAT) is a comprehensive theory used to formulate hierarchies of multiphase, multiscale models that are closed based upon the second law of thermodynamics. The rate of entropy production is posed in terms of the product of fluxes and forces of dissipative processes. The attractive features of TCAT include consistency across disparate length scales; thermodynamic consistency across scales; the inclusion of interfaces and common curves as well as phases; the development of kinematic equations to provide closure relations for geometric extent measures; and a structured approach to model building. The elements of the TCAT approach are shown; the ways in which each of these attractive features emerge from the TCAT approach are illustrated; and a review of the hierarchies of models that have been formulated is provided. Because the TCAT approach is mathematically involved, we illustrate how this approach can be applied by leveraging existing components of the theory that can be applied to a wide range of applications. This can result in a substantial reduction in formulation effort compared to a complete derivation while yielding identical results. Lastly, we note the previous neglect of the deviation kinetic energy, which is not important in slow porous media flows, formulate the required equations to extend the theory, and comment on applications for which the new components would be especially useful. This work should serve to make TCAT more accessible for applications, thereby enabling higher fidelity models for applications such as turbulent multiphase flows.

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On the dynamics and kinematics of two‐fluid‐phase flow in porous media

Cited by 54 publications

References 30 publications

Tracking interface and common curve dynamics for two-fluid flow in porous media

Tracking interface and common curve dynamics for two-fluid flow in porous media

Pore-scale modeling of phase change in porous media

Thermodynamically Constrained Averaging Theory: Principles, Model Hierarchies, and Deviation Kinetic Energy Extensions

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