Flow of foam through porous media
This study focuses on the pore level behavior of foam in porous media. Air was injected into porous micromodels which had previously been filled with an aqueous solution of surfactant. The micromodels consist of an etched silicon wafer anodically bonded to a glass plate. The model simulates a monolayer of porous matrix. Three homogenous models of different pore dimensions and one heterogeneous model were used. Visual observations were made to determine the flow characteristics of foam under varying air injection rates, pore dimensions and surfactant concentration. Foam flow mechanisms, as observed in the micromodels, were recorded on video tapes. These tapes are available at the Stanford University Petroleum Research Institute, Stanford, California. The observed mechanisms can be broadly classified into two: membrane and foam bubble propagation. Propagation of membranes, air-liquid interfaces, occurred in the homogeneous porous media at both low and high surfactant concentrations, and in the heterogeneous model at low surfactant concentration. Foam bubble propagation occurred only in the heterogeneous model at high surfactant concentrations. In the homogeneous micromodels, the wetting phase (surfactant solution) formed a continuous liquid network around the matrix. The air was found to propagate as tubular bubbles moving and extending over several pores. The flow mechanism was only slightly affected when different air injection rates, pore dimensions and surfactant concentrations were used. Foam was found to be generated in the heterogeneous model. Air and liquid were propagated by a combination of channel flow (with liquid confined to small pores) and a bubble break and reform process. The break and reform process was caused by snap-off actions at pore constrictions. A considerable reduction of effective mobility was observed in the presence of foam, compared to air-water systems without surfactant. 44 references, 43 figures, 5 tables.
- Research Organization:
- Stanford Univ., CA (USA). Petroleum Research Inst.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-81SF11564
- OSTI ID:
- 6931418
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/SF/11564-6; SUPRI-TR-37; ON: DE84012410
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
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42 ENGINEERING
420400 -- Engineering-- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
BUBBLES
COLLOIDS
DATA
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLOW RATE
FLUID FLOW
FOAMS
GLASS
INFORMATION
MATERIALS
MEMBRANES
NUMERICAL DATA
POROUS MATERIALS
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SURFACTANTS