2024/01/23 by Ran Holtzman, Holtzman, Ran, Marco Dentz +9
Physics and Astronomy · Engineering · Materials Science · #Theoretical and Computational Physics #Enhanced Oil Recovery Techniques #Material Dynamics and Properties
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2401.13077
We examine the nonequilibrium nature of two-phase fluid displacements in a quasi-two-dimensional medium (a model open fracture), in the presence of localized constrictions ("defects"), from a theoretical and numerical standpoint. Our analysis predicts the capillary energy dissipated in abrupt interfacial displacements (jumps) across defects, and relates it to the corresponding hysteresis cycle, e.g. in pressure-saturation. We distinguish between "weak" (reversible interface displacement, exhibiting no hysteresis and dissipation) and "strong" (irreversible) defects. We expose the emergence of dissipation and irreversibility caused by spatial interactions, mediated by interfacial tension, among otherwise weak defects. We exemplify this cooperative behavior for a pair of weak defects and establish a critical separation distance, analytically and numerically, verified by a proof-of-concept experiment.