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Title: Adsorption and Capillary Condensation-Induced Imbibition in Nanoporous Media

Abstract

Multiphase flow phenomena in nanoporous media are encountered in many science and engineering applications. Shales, for example, possessing complex nanopore networks, have considerable importance as source rocks for unconventional oil and gas production and as low-permeability seals for geologic carbon sequestration or nuclear waste disposal. This work presents a theoretical investigation of the processes controlling adsorption, capillary condensation, and imbibition in such nanoporous media, with a particular focus on understanding the effects of fluid-fluid and fluid-pore wall interaction forces in the interconnected nanopore space. Building on a new theoretical framework, we developed a numerical model for the multiphase nanoporous flow and tested it against water vapor uptake measurements conducted on a shale core sample. The model, which is based on the density functional approach, explicitly includes the relevant interaction forces among fluids and solids while allowing for a continuum representation of the porous medium. The experimental data include gravimetrically measured mass changes in an initially dry core sample exposed to varying levels of relative humidity, starting with a low relative humidity (rh = 0.31) followed by a period of a higher relative humidity (rh = 0.81). During this process, water vapor uptake in the dry core is recorded as amore » function of time. Our model suggests that, under low rh conditions, the flow within the shale sample is controlled by adsorption- and diffusion-type processes. After increasing the rh to 0.81, the uptake of water vapor becomes more significant, and according to our model, this can be explained by capillary condensation followed by immiscible displacement in the core sample. It appears that strong fluid-pore wall attractive forces cause condensation near the inlet, which then induces water imbibition further into sample.« less

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1]
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  1. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
OSTI Identifier:
1581350
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-05CH11231; FWP-ESD14085
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Langmuir
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 35; Journal Issue: 29; Journal ID: ISSN 0743-7463
Publisher:
American Chemical Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES; transport properties; diffusion; fluids; shale permeability

Citation Formats

Cihan, Abdullah, Tokunaga, Tetsu K., and Birkholzer, Jens T. Adsorption and Capillary Condensation-Induced Imbibition in Nanoporous Media. United States: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b00813.
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Cihan, Abdullah, Tokunaga, Tetsu K., & Birkholzer, Jens T. Adsorption and Capillary Condensation-Induced Imbibition in Nanoporous Media. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b00813
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Cihan, Abdullah, Tokunaga, Tetsu K., and Birkholzer, Jens T. Wed . "Adsorption and Capillary Condensation-Induced Imbibition in Nanoporous Media". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b00813. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1581350.
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@article{osti_1581350,
title = {Adsorption and Capillary Condensation-Induced Imbibition in Nanoporous Media},
author = {Cihan, Abdullah and Tokunaga, Tetsu K. and Birkholzer, Jens T.},
abstractNote = {Multiphase flow phenomena in nanoporous media are encountered in many science and engineering applications. Shales, for example, possessing complex nanopore networks, have considerable importance as source rocks for unconventional oil and gas production and as low-permeability seals for geologic carbon sequestration or nuclear waste disposal. This work presents a theoretical investigation of the processes controlling adsorption, capillary condensation, and imbibition in such nanoporous media, with a particular focus on understanding the effects of fluid-fluid and fluid-pore wall interaction forces in the interconnected nanopore space. Building on a new theoretical framework, we developed a numerical model for the multiphase nanoporous flow and tested it against water vapor uptake measurements conducted on a shale core sample. The model, which is based on the density functional approach, explicitly includes the relevant interaction forces among fluids and solids while allowing for a continuum representation of the porous medium. The experimental data include gravimetrically measured mass changes in an initially dry core sample exposed to varying levels of relative humidity, starting with a low relative humidity (rh = 0.31) followed by a period of a higher relative humidity (rh = 0.81). During this process, water vapor uptake in the dry core is recorded as a function of time. Our model suggests that, under low rh conditions, the flow within the shale sample is controlled by adsorption- and diffusion-type processes. After increasing the rh to 0.81, the uptake of water vapor becomes more significant, and according to our model, this can be explained by capillary condensation followed by immiscible displacement in the core sample. It appears that strong fluid-pore wall attractive forces cause condensation near the inlet, which then induces water imbibition further into sample.},
doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b00813},
journal = {Langmuir},
number = 29,
volume = 35,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jun 26 00:00:00 EDT 2019},
month = {Wed Jun 26 00:00:00 EDT 2019}
}
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Journal Article:
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Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b00813
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Cited by: 14 works
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Figures / Tables:

Table 1 Table 1: Measured or Calculated Model Input Parameters (T = 50 °C)
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