Studies on dispersive stabilization of porous media flows

Abstract

Motivated by a need to improve the performance of chemical enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes, we investigate dispersive effects on the linear stability of three-layer porous media flow models of EOR for two different types of interfaces: permeable and impermeable interfaces. Results presented are relevant for the design of smarter interfaces in the available parameter space of capillary number, Peclet number, longitudinal and transverse dispersion, and the viscous profile of the middle layer. The stabilization capacity of each of these two interfaces is explored numerically and conditions for complete dispersive stabilization are identified for each of these two types of interfaces. Key results obtained are (i) three-layer porous media flows with permeable interfaces can be almost completely stabilized by diffusion if the optimal viscous profile is chosen, (ii) flows with impermeable interfaces can also be almost completely stabilized for short time, but become more unstable at later times because diffusion flattens out the basic viscous profile, (iii) diffusion stabilizes short waves more than long waves which leads to a "turning point" Peclet number at which short and long waves have the same growth rate, and (iv) mechanical dispersion further stabilizes flows with permeable interfaces but in some cases has a destabilizing effect for flows with impermeable interfaces, which is a surprising result. These results are then used to give a comparison of the two types of interfaces. It is found that for most values of the flow parameters, permeable interfaces suppress flow instability more than impermeable interfaces. Published by AIP Publishing.

On the Linear Stability Problem for a Three-Layer Displacement in a Porous Media

“…However, in [3] are given some estimations for the growth rates 𝜎by using relation (16). Moreover, the results obtained in [3] are used in the papers [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. In [19][20][21][22][23][24], we pointed out some weak points in the papers [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] concerning the practical implementation of the multi-layer model.…”

“…Moreover, the results obtained in [3] are used in the papers [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. In [19][20][21][22][23][24], we pointed out some weak points in the papers [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] concerning the practical implementation of the multi-layer model. Our result is an improvement of [19][20][21][22][23][24] or he case 𝐴 = 𝐴(𝑘), 𝐵 = 𝐵(𝑘).…”

“…To avoid the above difficulty, some authors [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] tried to replace the variable viscosity profile with a succession of constant viscosities, with positive viscosity jumps in the flow direction. This is the multi-layer Hele-Shaw model.…”

Viscous fingering of miscible annular ring

“…So far, we have mentioned VF by considering the displacement of the slice of a fluid sandwiched between another fluid having different viscosity in the presence or absence of adsorption. However, the finite extent of fluids can be of arbitrary shape (Pramanik, De Wit & Mishra 2015), may be present in the entire domain (Jha, Cueto-Felgueroso & Juanes 2011) or there may be three different fluids with one fluid confined between the other two (Daripa & Gin 2016). One thing common in these studies is rectilinear displacement of a miscible fluid by another of different viscosity.…”

Time-dependent injection strategies and interfacial stability in multi-layer Hele-Shaw and porous media flows

“…In some flooding schemes, it is possible that an aqueous phase based liquid is displacing a different aqueous phase liquid. In such a case, a thin layer of spacer fluid of some non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) between such miscible phases can be used to ensure immiscibility [9]. Alternatively, the injected fluid layers themselves can alternate between aqueous phases and NAPL's.…”