Friction factor analysis for a nanofluid circulating in a microchannel filled with a homogeneous porous medium

This work presents the numerical solution for different velocity profiles and friction factors on a rectangular porous microchannel fully saturated by the flow of a nanofluid introducing different viscosity models, including one nanofluid density model. The Darcy-Brinkman-Forchheimer equation was used to solve the momentum equation in the porous medium. The results show that the relative density of the fluid, the nanoparticle diameters and their volumetric concentration have a direct influence on the velocity profiles only when the inertial effects caused by the presence of the porous matrix are important. Finally, it was found that only viscosity models that depend on temperature and nanoparticle diameter reduce the friction factor by seventy percent compared to a base fluid without nanoparticles; furthermore, these models show a velocity reduction of even ten percent along the symmetry axis of the microchannel.

The fate of continuous input of relatively heavy fluid at the base of a porous medium

We evaluate theoretically and confirm experimentally the shape of the fluid envelope resulting from the input of relatively heavy fluid at a constant rate from a point source at the base of a homogeneous porous medium. In three dimensions an initially expanding hemisphere transitions into a gravity current flowing over the assumed rigid, horizontal and impermeable bottom of the porous medium. A range of increasing transition times occurs if defined by extrapolation of the relationships in the two extreme regimes (hemispherical shape and thin-layer gravity current) so that they intersect, for: the ratio of buoyancy to fluid resistance; the horizontal extent of the fluid; the ratio of height at the centre to the radius; and just the height at the centre. Corresponding results are derived for two-dimensional geometries. In this case, we conduct a series of laboratory experiments demonstrating the transition between the radial and gravity current regimes both in terms of form and propagation rate. The results are extrapolated briefly to two-layer systems, in order to begin to understand effects due to vertically heterogeneous pore structures. We sketch, and verify by experiment, that an expanding hemisphere in a lower layer can reach a much more permeable upper layer and flow through it as a gravity current, thereby uniting the two regimes.

Equation of State’s Crossover Enhancement of Pseudopotential Lattice Boltzmann Modeling of CO2 Flow in Homogeneous Porous Media

The original Shan-Chen’s pseudopotential Lattice Boltzmann Model (LBM) has continuously evolved during the past two decades. However, despite its capability to simulate multiphase flows, the model still faces challenges when applied to multicomponent-multiphase flows in complex geometries with a moderately high-density ratio. Furthermore, classical cubic equations of state usually incorporated into the model cannot accurately predict fluid thermodynamics in the near-critical region. This paper addresses these issues by incorporating a crossover Peng–Robinson equation of state into LBM and further improving the model to consider the density and the critical temperature differences between the CO2 and water during the injection of the CO2 in a water-saturated 2D homogeneous porous medium. The numerical model is first validated by analyzing the supercritical CO2 penetration into a single narrow channel initially filled with H2O, depicting the fundamental role of the driving pressure gradient to overcome the capillary resistance in near one and higher density ratios. Significant differences are observed by extending the model to the injection of CO2 into a 2D homogeneous porous medium when using a flat versus a curved inlet velocity profile.

Application of microfluidic technologies for enhanced oil recovery

This paper presents the results of testing microfluidic technology for oil displacement problems using cheap and quickly manufactured chips made of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) by milling. The oil displacement process from a microfluidic chip simulating a homogeneous porous medium is studied. The microfluidic chip was manufactured by milling of polymethylmethacrylate. The size of the microchannels was 200 microns. The paper presents the results of visualization and microscopy of the oil displacement process. The effect of water flow on the efficiency of oil displacement from the microfluidic chip was studied.

Study of Fingering Dynamics of Two Immiscible Fluids in a Homogeneous Porous Medium with Considering Wettability Effects Using a Pore-Scale Multicomponent Lattice Boltzmann Model

In the present study, a pore-scale multicomponent lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is employed for the investigation of the immiscible-phase fluid displacement in a homogeneous porous medium. The viscous fingering and the stable displacement regimes of the invading fluid in the medium are quantified which is beneficial for predicting flow patterns in pore-scale structures, where an experimental study is extremely difficult. Herein, the Shan-Chen (S-C) model is incorporated with an appropriate collision model for computing the interparticle interaction between the immiscible fluids and the interfacial dynamics. Firstly, the computational technique is validated by a comparison of the present results obtained for different benchmark flow problems with those reported in the literature. Then, the penetration of an invading fluid into the porous medium is studied at different flow conditions. The effect of the capillary number (Ca), dynamic viscosity ratio (M), and the surface wettability defined by the contact angle (θ) are investigated on the flow regimes and characteristics. The obtained results show that for M<1, the viscous fingering regime appears by driving the invading fluid through the pore structures due to the viscous force and capillary force. However, by increasing the dynamic viscosity ratio and the capillary number, the invading fluid penetrates even in smaller pores and the stable displacement regime occurs. By the increment of the capillary number, the pressure difference between the two sides of the porous medium increases, so that the pressure drop Δp along with the domain at θ=40∘ is more than that of computed for θ=80∘. The present study shows that the value of wetting fluid saturation Sw at θ=40∘ is larger than its value computed with θ=80∘ that is due to the more tendency of the hydrophilic medium to absorb the wetting fluid at θ=40∘. Also, it is found that the magnitude of Sw computed for both the contact angles is decreased by the increment of the viscosity ratio from Log(M)=−1 to 1. The present study demonstrates that the S-C LBM is an efficient and accurate computational method to quantitatively estimate the flow characteristics and interfacial dynamics through the porous medium.

Smoothed particle hydrodynamics method for numerical solution of multidimensional filtering problems

The paper is devoted to solving the filtering problem for a mixture of water, gas, and oil in a homogeneous porous medium. The basic equations of filtration theory are converted into a special form for the numerical approximation with the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method. A numerical difference scheme is constructed on the basis of SPH method. An algorithm for setting the boundary conditions is proposed and a number of isothermal 1D and 2D tests on the filtering process simulation for a mixture of water, oil, and gas.

About Liquid Filtration Under a Point Dam with a Vertical Weakly Permeable Film

The problem of groundwater filtration under a point dam in a piecewise homogeneous porous medium in the presence of a weakly permeable film under the dam is considered. The filtration area is considered in the form of a vertical half-plane with a horizontal line of water courses. A weakly permeable film divides the filtration area into two quadrants with different constant permeability. By the convolution method of Fourier expansions, the solution of the problem is obtained explicitly. The influence of a weakly permeable film on the filtration process is investigated. It is shown that the presence of a weakly permeable film reduces the filtration rates in the downstream.

ANALYTICAL SOLUTION OF TWO-PHASE INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOW EQUATION IN A HOMOGENEOUS POROUS MEDIUM

In this research, we present analytical solution of two phase incompressible flow through a homogeneous porous medium. Water was injected at one end of the porous medium to stimulate oil recovery at the other end. From the modelled equations, we are able to determine pressure variation at different depth profiles. The results revealed increase in pressure as depth increases. This is in line with what is obtainable in practical scenarios.