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Formation of liquid bridges between porous matrix blocks

Dejam, M ; Sharif University of Technology | 2011

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  1. Type of Document: Article
  2. DOI: 10.1002/aic.12262
  3. Publisher: 2011
  4. Abstract:
  5. It is widely accepted that, in fluid flow and transport in fractured porous media, there exists some degree of block-to-block interaction that may lead to capillary continuity. The formation of liquid bridges causing interaction between blocks will affect oil recovery from naturally fractured reservoirs. However, the accurate modeling of the growth and detachment of liquid bridges that may cause capillary continuity between matrix blocks remains a controversial topic. In an attempt to improve our understanding of the problem, a mechanistic model is developed in this work for the formation of liquid bridges between porous blocks. The proposed model considers growth and detachment of pendant liquid droplets perpendicular to the horizontal and smooth fracture between porous matrix blocks. The liquid bridge model is then coupled with various upscaled fracture capillary pressure models to study the liquid bridge formation process. An expression is obtained that relates the commonly used fracture capillary pressure to the critical length of the liquid element. Results based on various fracture capillary pressure models reveal that the threshold Bond number is an important parameter in the formation of liquid bridges. We introduce a simple mechanistic model for the formation of liquid bridges in a horizontal fracture between two porous blocks, advancing our understanding of the two-phase flow in fractured porous media
  6. Keywords:
  7. Fracture capillary pressure ; Mathematical modeling ; Accurate modeling ; Bond numbers ; Capillary continuity ; Capillary pressures ; Commonly used ; Controversial topics ; Critical length ; Fluid flow ; Fractured porous media ; Horizontal fractures ; Liquid bridge ; Liquid droplets ; Mathematical modeling ; Matrix blocks ; Mechanistic models ; Naturally fractured reservoirs ; Oil recoveries ; Porous blocks ; Porous matrixs ; Capillarity ; Capillary tubes ; Computer simulation ; Enhanced recovery ; Fracture ; Multiphase flow ; Petroleum reservoirs ; Porous materials ; Liquids
  8. Source: AIChE Journal ; Volume 57, Issue 2 , 2011 , Pages 286-298 ; 00011541 (ISSN)
  9. URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aic.12262/abstract;jsessionid=0007584ADF83B46D76640A20099844E3.f03t01