Dr. Paula Reis
PoreLab - Porous Media Laboratory
Physics Department,
University of Oslo

"Numerical analysis of drainage in porous media using network models"

Oct 25, 2023

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Abstract:

Modeling fluid-fluid displacements in porous media has been an active research topic for the past few decades, with applications spanning multiple fields. In this endeavor, extensive efforts have been directed toward the development of models related to CO_2 storage in subsurface geological, oil recovery methods, drying, and water management in fuel cells. In this presentation, we narrow our focus to pore-scale models of drainage using network representations of the pore space. From invasion-percolation to more complex dynamic pore-network models (PNM), we explore ways to incorporate the complex interplay of capillary, viscous, and gravitational forces taking place in porous-media multiphase flows into simplified numerical models. Particularly, a method to effectively model the impact of film flow during slow drainage in granular porous media is introduced, and the related results – along with comparisons with experimental observations – are presented.