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A theoretical and experimental investigation of trapping in pore doublets
Author(s) -
Laidlaw W. G.,
Wardlaw N. C.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
the canadian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1939-019X
pISSN - 0008-4034
DOI - 10.1002/cjce.5450610515
Subject(s) - trapping , sink (geography) , mechanics , pressure drop , capillary action , drop (telecommunication) , chemistry , viscosity , thermodynamics , physics , ecology , telecommunications , cartography , computer science , biology , geography
The mechanism for trapping oil in a pore doublet with a finite source and sink is examined both theoretically and experimentally. The characteristics of the source and sink play a crucial role in determining whether there is a potential for trapping in the wider or narrower branch of the doublet and are explicitly treated for the first time. The analysis includes fluids of unequal viscosity and it is shown that the fluid viscosities should affect trapping only in special circumstances. Trapping of the displaced phase is not a function of scale when the external pressure drop is either zero or much larger than the capillary pressure. However, any attempt to control trapping by an external pressure is constrained by the scale of the pores involved.