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Disconnected Gas Transport in Steady‐State Three‐Phase Flow
Author(s) -
Alhosani Abdulla,
Selem Ahmed M.,
Lin Qingyang,
Bijeljic Branko,
Blunt Martin J.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/2021wr031147
Subject(s) - mechanics , flow (mathematics) , relative permeability , capillary pressure , two phase flow , capillary action , curvature , fluid dynamics , phase (matter) , wetting , displacement (psychology) , materials science , geology , thermodynamics , geotechnical engineering , porous medium , physics , geometry , porosity , mathematics , psychology , quantum mechanics , psychotherapist
We use high‐resolution three‐dimensional X‐ray microtomography to investigate fluid displacement during steady‐state three‐phase flow in a cm‐sized water‐wet sandstone rock sample. The pressure differential across the sample is measured which enables the determination of relative permeability; capillary pressure is also estimated from the interfacial curvature. Though the measured relative permeabilities are consistent, to within experimental uncertainty, with values obtained without imaging on larger samples, we discover a unique flow dynamics. The most non‐wetting phase (gas) is disconnected across the system: gas flows by periodically opening critical flow pathways in intermediate‐sized pores. While this phenomenon has been observed in two‐phase flow, here it is significant at low flow rates, where capillary forces dominate at the pore‐scale. Gas movement proceeds in a series of double and multiple displacement events. Implications for the design of three‐phase flow processes and current empirical models are discussed: the traditional conceptualization of three‐phase dynamics based on analogies to two‐phase flow vastly over‐estimates the connectivity and flow potential of the gas phase.