A Review of Micromodels and Their Use in Two-Phase Flow Studies

Abstract

During the last 25 to 30 yr , micromodels have been increasingly used to study the behavior of fl uids inside microstructures in various research areas. Studies have included chemical, biological, and physical applica ons. Micromodels have proven to be a valuable tool by enabling us to observe the fl ow of fl uids and transport of solutes within the pore space. They have helped to increase our insight into fl ow and transport phenomena on both micro-and macro-scales. In this review, we have considered only the applica on of micromodels in the study of two-phase fl ow in porous media. Various methods exist for genera ng pa erns used in micromodels. These include perfectly regular pa erns, par ally regular pa erns, fractal pa erns, and irregular pa erns. Various fabrica on methods and materials are used in making micromodels, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The major fabrica on methods include: Hele-Shaw; glass beads; op cal lithography; wet, dry, and laser or plasma etching; stereo lithography, and so lithography. The distribu on of phases in micromodels can be visualized using (confocal) microscopes, digital cameras, or their combina on. Micromodels have been applied to the study of twophase displacement processes, measurements of fl uid-fl uid interfacial area and phase satura on, measurements of rela ve permeability, and the study of enhanced oil recovery.

Development of a numerical workflow based on <i>μ</i>-CT imaging for the determination of capillary pressure–saturation-specific interfacial area relationship in 2-phase flow pore-scale porous-media systems: a case study on Heletz sandstone

“…Peaks in a wn distribute for all p c approximately at a range 0.7 > S w > 0.35. It can be stated that both relationships show the typical bell-shaped form, which is widely postulated in the literature (Joekar-Niasar et al, 2010;Karadimitriou and Hassanizadeh, 2012;Karadimitriou et al, 2013).…”

“…The derivation of this porous-mediaspecific p c -S w -a wn relationship can be realized using physical experiments e.g. in the form of micromodels as described amongst others in Karadimitriou et al (2013Karadimitriou et al ( , 2014, Karadimitriou and Hassanizadeh (2012) and Lenormand and Touboul (1988). Corresponding numerical models are given, amongst others, in Ahrenholz et al (2011) and Porter et al (2009).…”

Waterflooding of Surfactant and Polymer Solutions in a Porous Media Micromodel

“…Understanding multiphase flows in porous media is critical for enhancing the recovery of oil from porous bedrock [1]. When a reservoir is tapped through a wellbore in the bedrock for the first time, a pressure differential between the reservoir and the wellbore can be used as a primary form of recovery.…”

Thermoplastic Micromodel Investigation of Two-Phase Flows in a Fractured Porous Medium

“…Micromodels are one of the commonly used tools for investigating and visualizing physical, chemical, and biological processes at a small scale in two or three dimensions [5]. Karadimitriou and Hassanizadeh [5] defined a micromodel as "an artificial representation of a porous medium made of a transparent material."…”

“…Karadimitriou and Hassanizadeh [5] defined a micromodel as "an artificial representation of a porous medium made of a transparent material." A micromodel usually comprises an artificial pore structure of connected pores, whose shapes are designed to represent the simplified geometry of a geomaterial.…”