title: Mechanism of anomalously increased oil displacement with aqueous viscoelastic polymer solutions.
abstract: Single-phase flows of viscoelastic polymer solutions in both microfluidic devices and rock cores exhibit apparent flow thickening. We demonstrate that this thickening occurs above a critical Deborah number corresponding to the onset of spatio-temporal fluctuations. These fluctuations are observed to occur over a broad range of spatial and temporal scales consistent with elastic turbulence. The fluctuations provide a previously unreported mechanism for enhancing the displacement of a second, capillary trapped, immiscible phase.
authors: Schlumberger Gould Research, Madingley Road, Cambridge, UKCB3 0EL. andrew.clarke@slb.com.
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Clarke
authors: Andrew M
authors: AM
authors: Howe
authors: Jonathan
authors: J
authors: Mitchell
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Staniland
authors: Laurence
authors: L
authors: Hawkes
authors: Katherine
authors: K
authors: Leeper
mesh_terms: D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation; D009821:Oils / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity; D055682:Viscoelastic Substances / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D009821:Oils; D011108:Polymers; D055682:Viscoelastic Substances; D014867:Water