Study of Multi-phase Flow in Porous Media: Comparison of SPH Simulations with Micro-model Experiments

Kunz, P.; Zarikos, I.; Karadimitriou, Nikolaos; Huber, M.; Nieken, Ulrich; Hassanizadeh, S. M.

doi:10.1007/s11242-015-0599-1

Cited by 68 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Considerable effort has been devoted to studying twophase flow patterns at the length scale of pore-networks, both experimentally [13][14][15][16][17][18] and numerically [19][20][21][22][23][24][25], providing a reliable set of data for the Ca-phase diagram of drainage displacement patterns as introduced by [1]. However, the pore-scale dynamics of fluid interfaces and the mechanisms by means of which they evolve remain poorly understood.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fluid Interfaces during Viscous-Dominated Primary Drainage in 2D Micromodels Using Pore-Scale SPH Simulations

Sivanesapillai

Steeb

2018

Geofluids

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We perform pore-scale resolved direct numerical simulations of immiscible two-phase flow in porous media to study the evolution of fluid interfaces. Using a Smoothed-Particle Hydrodynamics approach, we simulate saturation-controlled primary drainage in heterogeneous, partially wettable 2D porous microstructures. While imaging the evolution of fluid interfaces near capillary equilibrium becomes more feasible as fast X-ray tomography techniques mature, imaging methods with suitable temporal resolution for viscous-dominated flow have only recently emerged. In this work, we study viscous fingering and stable displacement processes. During viscous fingering, pore-scale flow fields are reminiscent of Bretherton annular flow, that is, the less viscous phase percolates through the core of a pore-throat forming a hydrodynamic wetting film. Even in simple microstructures wetting films have major impact on the evolution of fluid interfacial area and are observed to give rise to nonnegligible interfacial viscous coupling. Although macroscopically appearing flat, saturation fronts during stable displacement extend over the length of the capillary dispersion zone. While far from the dispersion zone fluid permeation obeys Darcy's law, the interplay of viscous and capillary forces is found to render fluid flow within complex. Here we show that the characteristic length scale of the capillary dispersion zone increases with the heterogeneity of the microstructure.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fluid Interfaces during Viscous-Dominated Primary Drainage in 2D Micromodels Using Pore-Scale SPH Simulations

Sivanesapillai

Steeb

2018

Geofluids

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“…it leads to. For SPH, Hu and Adams' formulation [42] used in this paper has been reported to generate stronger spurious currents than other formulations [97]. In Fig.…”

Section: Static Bubble Testsmentioning

confidence: 79%

Comparison of multiphase SPH and LBM approaches for the simulation of intermittent flows

et al. 2019

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Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) and Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) are increasingly popular and attractive methods that propose efficient multiphase formulations, each one with its own strengths and weaknesses. In this context, when it comes to study a given multi-fluid problem, it is helpful to rely on a quantitative comparison to decide which approach should be used and in which context. In particular, the simulation of intermittent two-phase flows in pipes such as slug flows is a complex problem involving moving and intersecting interfaces for which both SPH and LBM could be considered. It is a problem of interest in petroleum applications since the formation of slug flows that can occur in submarine pipelines connecting the wells to the production facility can cause undesired behaviors with hazardous consequences. In this work, we compare SPH and LBM multiphase formulations where surface tension effects are modeled respectively using the continuum surface force and the color gradient approaches on a collection of standard test cases, and on the simulation of intermittent flows in 2D. This paper aims to highlight the contributions and limitations of SPH and LBM when applied to these problems. First, we compare our implementations on static bubble problems with different density and viscosity ratios. Then, we focus on gravity driven simulations of slug flows in pipes for several Reynolds numbers. Finally, we conclude with simulations of slug flows with inlet/outlet boundary conditions. According to the results presented in this study, we confirm that the SPH approach is more robust and versatile whereas the LBM formulation is more accurate and faster.

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“…This is performed for various injection strategies, changing the injection rate as well as alternating between continuous and pulsed injections. Kunz et al (2015) present simulations and experiments of drainage processes in a micromodel and compare them for quasi-static and pure dynamic processes. For both, simulation and experiment, the interfacial area and the pressure at the inflow and outflow are tracked.…”

Section: Research Area B: Numerical Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Editorial

et al. 2016

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This special issue of Transport in Porous Media contains contributions from the community of researchers within the NUPUS collaboration. Submissions are authored by the full range of NUPUS members, from senior faculty members to the young researchers whose studies have been shaped by this international training network. Many of the contributions highlight the strong inter-university, inter-disciplinary and international connections which are reviewed in the accompanying foreword . The topics of this special issue reflect those of NUPUS itself, and the contributions are grouped in the NUPUS research areas as follows.

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Study of Multi-phase Flow in Porous Media: Comparison of SPH Simulations with Micro-model Experiments

Cited by 68 publications

References 34 publications

Fluid Interfaces during Viscous-Dominated Primary Drainage in 2D Micromodels Using Pore-Scale SPH Simulations

Fluid Interfaces during Viscous-Dominated Primary Drainage in 2D Micromodels Using Pore-Scale SPH Simulations

Comparison of multiphase SPH and LBM approaches for the simulation of intermittent flows

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