The hydrodynamics of gas-liquid mixture flow in porous media
Abstract
Equations and models that describe the hydrodynamics of gas-liquid two-phase flows in porous media are becoming increasingly crucial for predicting their primary behaviors within porous structures. These models are essential in understanding the flow dynamics in various applications, such as enhanced oil recovery, soil treatment, and reactor design. The focus of this research was to examine the effects of capillary forces, viscous forces, inertial forces, and flow configurations on the hydrodynamic features of a gas-liquid two-phase flow within a glass micromodel. By conducting experiments, results were gathered and then compared with predictions made by three different established models. The two models, Fundamental Forces Balance and Fluid-Fluid Interface models, did not accurately capture the experimental behavior, despite the fact that the Fundamental Forces Balance model incorporates particular flow pattern characteristics. These models were not able to fully describe that real-word behavior of gas-liquid two-phase flow, indicating that improvements are necessary. On the other hand, semi-empirical models, such as the Relative Permeability model, provide a better representation of the physical flow characteristics. One key advantage of semi-empirical models is that they can be adjusted to account for additional effects, such as varying flow configurations and interfacial interactions, which are not initially included in the basic theoretical models. Traditionally, relative permeabilities have been almost exclusively linked to saturation conditions in porous media. However, this research concluded that liquid relative permeability is not solely dependent on saturation levels. Instead, is also depends on flow patterns and the Capillary number. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating multiple factors when developing more accurate and reliable models for gas-liquid two-phase flow in porous media.
Keywords
porous media; hydrodynamic models; flow patterns; gas-liquid two-phase flow; flow patterns; relative permeabilities.