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Application of neutron radiography to image flow phenomena in porous media
Author(s) -
Jasti J. K.,
Fogler H. S.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.690380402
Subject(s) - neutron imaging , porous medium , dissolution , tortuosity , porosity , neutron , materials science , volumetric flow rate , dispersion (optics) , optics , mechanics , chemistry , physics , nuclear physics , composite material
Neutron transmission imaging is a technique ideally suited for imaging various flow phenomena in consolidated porous media because the porous matrix is virtually transparent to thermal neutrons. Hydrogen‐containing fluids, however, provide a contrast in the image due to their large thermal neutron cross‐sections. This technique has uncovered new phenomena in the study of dissolution and precipitation in porous media. Neutron images of acid‐etched porous patterns show that the degree of branching, and the tortuosity of the etched patterns depend on competing effects of acid flow rate, dissolution rate and precipitation rate of the reaction products. The fine structure of etched pathways show that they can propagate against the direction of flow, a phenomenon not previously observed. In a second study, realtime neutron transmission imaging was used to visualize miscible tracer dispersion. It was shown how quantitative information such as the in‐situ spatial distributions of the tracer concentrations can be obtained with this technique.