FY22 Progress on Multicontinuum Methods in Containment

Technical Report · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2022

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1877460· OSTI ID:1877460

Kuhlman, Kristopher L. ^[1]; Mills, Melissa M. ^[1]; Heath, Jason E. ^[1]; Paul, Matthew J. ^[1]

---

1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Estimation of two-phase fluid flow properties is important to understand and predict water and gas movement through the vadose zone for agricultural, hydrogeological, and engineering applications, such as containment transport and/or containment of gases in the subsurface. To estimate rock fluid flow properties and subsequently predict physically realistic processes such as patterns and timing of water, gas, and energy (e.g., heat) movement in the subsurface, laboratory spontaneous water imbibition with simultaneous temperature measurement and numerical modeling methods are presented in the FY22 progress report. A multiple-overlapping-continua conceptual model is used to explain and predict observed complex multi-phenomenological laboratory test behavior during spontaneous imbibition experiments. This report primarily addresses two complexities that arise during the experiments: 1) capturing the late-time behavior of spontaneous imbibition tests with dual porosity; and 2) understanding the thermal perturbation observed at or ahead of the imbibing wetting front, which are associated with adsorption of water in initially dry samples. We use numerical approaches to explore some of these issues, but also lay out a plan for further laboratory experimentation and modeling to best understand and leverage these unique observations.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
• DOE Contract Number: NA0003525
• OSTI ID: 1877460
• Report Number(s): SAND2022-10011; 708546
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES