Multi-Scale Microfluidics for Transport in Shale Fabric

Ling, Bowen; Khan, Hasan J.; Druhan, Jennifer L.; Battiato, Ilenia

doi:10.3390/en14010021

Title: Multi-Scale Microfluidics for Transport in Shale Fabric

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Abstract

We develop a microfluidic experimental platform to study solute transport in multi-scale fracture networks with a disparity of spatial scales ranging between two and five orders of magnitude. Using the experimental scaling relationship observed in Marcellus shales between fracture aperture and frequency, the microfluidic design of the fracture network spans all length scales from the micron (1 μ) to the dm (10 dm). This intentional `tyranny of scales’ in the design, a determining feature of shale fabric, introduces unique complexities during microchip fabrication, microfluidic flow-through experiments, imaging, data acquisition and interpretation. Here, we establish best practices to achieve a reliable experimental protocol, critical for reproducible studies involving multi-scale physical micromodels spanning from the Darcy- to the pore-scale (dm to μm). With this protocol, two fracture networks are created: a macrofracture network with fracture apertures between 5 and 500 μm and a microfracture network with fracture apertures between 1 and 500 μm. The latter includes the addition of 1 μm ‘microfractures’, at a bearing of 55°, to the backbone of the former. Comparative analysis of the breakthrough curves measured at corresponding locations along primary, secondary and tertiary fractures in both models allows one to assess the scale and the conditions atmore »« less

Authors:

Ling, Bowen ^[1]; Khan, Hasan J. ^[2]; Druhan, Jennifer L. ^[2];

^[1]

Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States)

Publication Date:: Wed Dec 23 00:00:00 EST 2020

Research Org.:: Stanford Univ., CA (United States); Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

OSTI Identifier:: 1760011

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0019165

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Energies (Basel)

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Name: Energies (Basel); Journal Volume: 14; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 1996-1073

Publisher:: MDPI AG

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 58 GEOSCIENCES; Fracture network; micromodel; transport

Citation Formats


                    Ling, Bowen, Khan, Hasan J., Druhan, Jennifer L., and Battiato, Ilenia. Multi-Scale Microfluidics for Transport in Shale Fabric.  United States: N. p., 2020. 
Web.  doi:10.3390/en14010021.

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                    Ling, Bowen, Khan, Hasan J., Druhan, Jennifer L., & Battiato, Ilenia. Multi-Scale Microfluidics for Transport in Shale Fabric.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.3390/en14010021

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                    Ling, Bowen, Khan, Hasan J., Druhan, Jennifer L., and Battiato, Ilenia. Wed .  
"Multi-Scale Microfluidics for Transport in Shale Fabric".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.3390/en14010021.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1760011.

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@article{osti_1760011,

  title        = {Multi-Scale Microfluidics for Transport in Shale Fabric},

  author       = {Ling, Bowen and Khan, Hasan J. and Druhan, Jennifer L. and Battiato, Ilenia},

  abstractNote = {We develop a microfluidic experimental platform to study solute transport in multi-scale fracture networks with a disparity of spatial scales ranging between two and five orders of magnitude. Using the experimental scaling relationship observed in Marcellus shales between fracture aperture and frequency, the microfluidic design of the fracture network spans all length scales from the micron (1 μ) to the dm (10 dm). This intentional `tyranny of scales’ in the design, a determining feature of shale fabric, introduces unique complexities during microchip fabrication, microfluidic flow-through experiments, imaging, data acquisition and interpretation. Here, we establish best practices to achieve a reliable experimental protocol, critical for reproducible studies involving multi-scale physical micromodels spanning from the Darcy- to the pore-scale (dm to μm). With this protocol, two fracture networks are created: a macrofracture network with fracture apertures between 5 and 500 μm and a microfracture network with fracture apertures between 1 and 500 μm. The latter includes the addition of 1 μm ‘microfractures’, at a bearing of 55°, to the backbone of the former. Comparative analysis of the breakthrough curves measured at corresponding locations along primary, secondary and tertiary fractures in both models allows one to assess the scale and the conditions at which microfractures may impact passive transport.},

  doi          = {10.3390/en14010021},

  journal      = {Energies (Basel)},

  number       = 1,

  volume       = 14,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Wed Dec 23 00:00:00 EST 2020},

  month        = {Wed Dec 23 00:00:00 EST 2020}

}

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