Trapping and Mobilization of Residual Fluid During Capillary Desaturation in Porous Media

1999/02/17 by A. Lucian, Lucian, A., R. Hilfer +1
Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) #cond-mat.mtrl-sci

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.cond-mat/9902236

13 pages

arxiv created 1999/02/17 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30

Abstract

We discuss the problem of trapping and mobilization of nonwetting fluids during immiscible two phase displacement processes in porous media. Capillary desaturation curves give residual saturations as a function of capillary number. Interpreting capillary numbers as the ratio of viscous to capillary forces the breakpoint in experimental curves contradicts the theoretically predicted force balance. We show that replotting the data against a novel macroscopic capillary number resolves the problem for discontinuous mode displacement.

Related

• Nonequilibrium capillary pressure and relative permeability curves of porous media
• Percolation without trapping: how Ostwald ripening during two-phase displacement in porous media alters capillary pressure and relative permeability
• Capillary trapping in mixed-wet porous media: Implications for subsurface carbon dioxide sequestration
• Interplay of viscosity and wettability controls fluid displacement in porous media
• Pore network modeling of the effects of viscosity ratio and pressure gradient on steady-state incompressible two-phase flow in porous media