Two-phase gravity currents in layered porous media

Benham, GP; Bickle, M. J.; Neufeld, Jerome A.

doi:10.1017/jfm.2021.523

Cited by 12 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…The geometry and grain size contrast of the geologic fabrics control the extent of trapping. Together, we observe these effects to cause the total fluid trapped to vary roughly two orders of magnitude in the most extreme case (Benham et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 71%

Geologic Heterogeneity Controls on Trapping and Migration of CO₂

Krishnamurthy

DiCarlo

Meckel

2022

Geophysical Research Letters

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When CO2 is injected into sedimentary basins, the fate of the buoyant CO2 will be determined by how it interacts with the underlying geologic heterogeneities. Here we geologically print a cross‐bedded pattern using two different bead sizes, and then conduct flow experiments to observe buoyant flow pathways, migration speed, and immobilized volumes. The amount of buoyant phase trapped under the heterogeneities is observed to vary by two orders of magnitude, with the controlling parameter being the size contrast between the coarse and fine grains that make up the structure. The results allow an estimate of heterogeneity trapping, and show how CO2 trapping in aquifers can be experimentally evaluated before injection.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 71%

Geologic Heterogeneity Controls on Trapping and Migration of CO₂

Krishnamurthy

DiCarlo

Meckel

2022

Geophysical Research Letters

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“…This is because the viscosity ratio can only affect the dynamics whenever the flow of injected and ambient fluids are coupled together (just like γ ). It would also be interesting to extend these results to account for multiphase effects, similarly to Golding, Huppert & Neufeld (2013) in the case of homogeneous media, and similarly to Benham, Bickle & Neufeld (2021a) and Jackson & Krevor (2020) in the case of heterogeneous media.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Axisymmetric gravity currents in anisotropic porous media

Benham

Neufeld²,

Woods³

2022

J. Fluid Mech.

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We explore the motion of an axisymmetric gravity current in an anisotropic porous medium in which the horizontal permeability is larger than the vertical permeability. It is well known that the classical axisymmetric gravity current supplied by a constant point source of fluid has an unphysical singularity near the origin. We address this by considering a pressure-dominated region near the origin which allows for vertical flow from the source, such that the current remains of finite depth, whilst beyond this region the flow is gravity dominated. At early times the inner pressure-driven region controls the spreading of the current, but at late times the inner region occupies a progressively smaller fraction of the current such that the radius increases as ${\sim }t^{3/7}$ , while the depth near the origin increases approximately as ${\sim }t^{1/7}$ . The presence of anisotropy highlights this phenomenon, since the vertical permeability maintains an effect on the flow at late times through the pressure-driven flow near the origin. Using these results we provide some quantitative insights into the dominant dynamics which controls CO $_2$ migration through permeable aquifers, as occurs in the context of carbon capture and storage.

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“…2012), multiphase effects (Golding et al. 2011) and flow rearrangement due to geological heterogeneities (Benham, Bickle & Neufeld 2021 a , b ).…”

Section: Discussion and Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The near-field shape and stability of a porous plume

Benham

2023

J. Fluid Mech.

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When a fluid is injected into a porous medium saturated with an ambient fluid of a greater density, the injected fluid forms a plume that rises upwards due to buoyancy. In the near field of the injection point, the plume adjusts its speed to match the buoyancy velocity of the porous medium, either thinning or thickening to conserve mass. These adjustments are the dominant controls on the near-field plume shape, rather than mixing with the ambient fluid, which occurs over larger vertical distances. In this study, we focus on the plume behaviour in the near field, demonstrating that for moderate injection rates, the plume will reach a steady state, whereby it matches the buoyancy velocity over a few plume width scales from the injection point. However, for very small injection rates, an instability occurs in which the steady plume breaks apart due to the insurmountable density contrast with the surrounding fluid. The steady shape of the plume in the near field depends only on a single dimensionless parameter, which is the ratio between the inlet velocity and the buoyancy velocity. A linear stability analysis is performed, indicating that for small velocity ratios, an infinitesimal perturbation can be constructed that becomes unstable, whilst for moderate velocity ratios, the shape is shown to be stable. Finally, we comment on the application of such flows to the context of CO $_2$ sequestration in porous geological reservoirs.

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Two-phase gravity currents in layered porous media

Abstract: Abstract

Cited by 12 publications

References 41 publications

Geologic Heterogeneity Controls on Trapping and Migration of CO₂

Geologic Heterogeneity Controls on Trapping and Migration of CO₂

Axisymmetric gravity currents in anisotropic porous media

The near-field shape and stability of a porous plume

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Two-phase gravity currents in layered porous media

Abstract: Abstract

Cited by 12 publications

References 41 publications

Geologic Heterogeneity Controls on Trapping and Migration of CO2

Geologic Heterogeneity Controls on Trapping and Migration of CO2

Axisymmetric gravity currents in anisotropic porous media

The near-field shape and stability of a porous plume

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Geologic Heterogeneity Controls on Trapping and Migration of CO₂

Geologic Heterogeneity Controls on Trapping and Migration of CO₂