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Quantification of Nonlinear Multiphase Flow in Porous Media
Author(s) -
Zhang Yihuai,
Bijeljic Branko,
Gao Ying,
Lin Qingyang,
Blunt Martin J.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2020gl090477
Subject(s) - mechanics , nonlinear system , intermittency , imbibition , flow (mathematics) , power law , exponent , porous medium , pressure gradient , range (aeronautics) , two phase flow , multiphase flow , fluid dynamics , thermodynamics , volumetric flow rate , materials science , porosity , geology , physics , geotechnical engineering , mathematics , turbulence , linguistics , statistics , germination , botany , philosophy , quantum mechanics , composite material , biology
We measure the pressure difference during two‐phase flow across a sandstone sample for a range of injection rates and fractional flows of water, the wetting phase, during an imbibition experiment. We quantify the onset of a transition from a linear relationship between flow rate and pressure gradient to a nonlinear power‐law dependence. We show that the transition from linear (Darcy) to nonlinear flow and the exponent in the power‐law is a function of fractional flow. We use energy balance to accurately predict the onset of intermittency for a range of fractional flows, fluid viscosities, and different rock types.