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Experimental Investigation of the Dynamics of Trapped Nonwetting Droplets Subjected to Seismic Stimulation in Constricted Tubes
Author(s) -
Zhang Yandong,
Zeng Chao,
Bai Baojun,
Deng Wen
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: solid earth
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.983
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 2169-9356
pISSN - 2169-9313
DOI - 10.1029/2019jb018387
Subject(s) - mechanics , amplitude , porous medium , displacement (psychology) , capillary action , oscillation (cell signaling) , fluid dynamics , permeability (electromagnetism) , dynamics (music) , acceleration , materials science , porosity , physics , chemistry , optics , acoustics , classical mechanics , composite material , membrane , psychology , biochemistry , psychotherapist
Multiphase fluid flow in porous media can be affected by the dynamic stressing caused by earthquakes or human‐made blasts. Changes in the permeability of porous media can be induced by the mobilization of trapped colloids, immiscible droplets, or bubbles due to such dynamic stressing. In order to analyze the mechanism of this seismic‐induced mobilization, a theoretical fluid dynamics conceptual model had been developed to describe this phenomenon in constricted tubes. In the research presented in this paper, we made an experimental effort to obtain reliable data to study the dynamics of nonwetting droplets and validate the previous theoretical fluid dynamics conceptual model in constricted tubes. In our experiments, we considered not only the frequencies and acceleration amplitudes of the seismic stimulation but also different initial positions of the nonwetting droplets, aspect ratios of the constricted tubes, and viscosities of nonwetting phases. We used a high‐speed camera to capture video of the mobilization process of droplets inside capillary tubes, and then manually tracked the displacement of the droplets. Our experimental observation revealed a strong dependence on the critical acceleration amplitude for mobilization on the initial position of a droplet's front menisci. Finally, the reliability of the theoretical model was validated against the experimental data on amplitude amplifications in oscillation experiments and critical amplitudes in mobilization experiments, as dependent on the frequency.