MRI investigation of water-oil two phase flow in straight capillary, bifurcate channel and monolayered glass bead pack.
The study of immiscible fluid displacement between aqueous-phase liquids and non-aqueous-phase liquids in porous media is of great importance to oil recovery, groundwater contamination, and underground pollutant migration. Moreover, the attendant viscous, capillary, and gravitational forces are essential to describing the two-phase flows. In this study, magnetic resonance imaging was used to experimentally examine the detailed effects of the viscous, capillary, and gravitational forces on water-oil flows through a vertical straight capillary, bifurcate channel, and monolayered glass-bead pack. Water flooding experiments were performed at atmospheric pressure and 37.8°C, and the evolution of the distribution and saturation of the oil as well as the characteristics of the two-phase flow were investigated and analyzed. The results showed that the flow paths, i.e., the fingers of the displacing phase, during the immiscible displacement in the porous medium were determined by the viscous, capillary, and gravitational forces as well as the sizes of the pores and throats. The experimental results afford a fundamental understanding of immiscible fluid displacement in a porous medium.
Key Laboratory of Ocean Energy Utilization and Energy Conservation of Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
Yu
Y
Liu
Key Laboratory of Ocean Energy Utilization and Energy Conservation of Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
Lanlan
L
Jiang
Key Laboratory of Ocean Energy Utilization and Energy Conservation of Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
Ningjun
N
Zhu
Key Laboratory of Ocean Energy Utilization and Energy Conservation of Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
Yuechao
Y
Zhao
Key Laboratory of Ocean Energy Utilization and Energy Conservation of Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
Yi
Y
Zhang
Key Laboratory of Ocean Energy Utilization and Energy Conservation of Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
Dayong
D
Wang
Key Laboratory of Ocean Energy Utilization and Energy Conservation of Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
Mingjun
M
Yang
Key Laboratory of Ocean Energy Utilization and Energy Conservation of Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China. Electronic address: jfzhao@dlut.edu.cn.
Jiafei
J
Zhao
Key Laboratory of Ocean Energy Utilization and Energy Conservation of Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China. Electronic address: songyc@dlut.edu.cn.
Yongchen
Y
Song
D000465:Algorithms; D002197:Capillary Action; D005374:Filtration / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods; D009821:Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D044367:Phase Transition; D016062:Porosity; D012212:Rheology / Q000379:methods*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
D009821:Oils; D014867:Water
Bond number; Capillary number; Immiscible two-phase flow; Magnetic resonance imaging; Porous medium