U.S. Department of EnergyOffice of Scientific and Technical Information
Flow of foam through porous media
Abstract
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 flowmore »
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Stanford Univ., CA (USA). Petroleum Research Inst.
- OSTI Identifier:
- 6931418
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/SF/11564-6; SUPRI-TR-37
ON: DE84012410
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-81SF11564
- Resource Type:
- Technical Report
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 02 PETROLEUM; 42 ENGINEERING; FOAMS; FLUID FLOW; POROUS MATERIALS; BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS; BUBBLES; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; FLOW RATE; GLASS; MEMBRANES; SILICON; SURFACTANTS; COLLOIDS; DATA; DISPERSIONS; ELEMENTS; INFORMATION; MATERIALS; NUMERICAL DATA; SEMIMETALS; 020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production; 420400 - Engineering- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow
Citation Formats
Owete, O S, and Brigham, W E. Flow of foam through porous media. United States: N. p., 1984.
Web.
Owete, O S, & Brigham, W E. Flow of foam through porous media. United States.
Owete, O S, and Brigham, W E. 1984.
"Flow of foam through porous media". United States.
@article{osti_6931418,
title = {Flow of foam through porous media},
author = {Owete, O S and Brigham, W E},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6931418},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1984},
month = {Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1984}
}