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Title: Pore-scale simulation of liquid CO2 displacement of water using a two-phase lattice Boltzmann model

Abstract

A lattice Boltzmann color-fluid model, which was recently proposed by Liu et al. [H. Liu, A.J. Valocchi, and Q. Kang. Three-dimensional lattice Boltzmann model for immiscible two-phase flow simulations. Phys. Rev. E, 85:046309, 2012.] based on a concept of continuum surface force, is improved to simulate immiscible two-phase flows in porous media. The new improvements allow the model to account for different kinematic viscosities of both fluids and to model fluid-solid interactions. The capability and accuracy of this model is first validated by two benchmark tests: a layered two-phase flow with a viscosity ratio, and a dynamic capillary intrusion. This model is then used to simulate liquid CO2 (LCO2) displacing water in a dual-permeability pore network. The extent and behavior of LCO2 preferential flow (i.e., fingering) is found to depend on the capillary number (Ca), and three different displacement patterns observed in previous micromodel experiments are reproduced. The predicted variation of LCO2 saturation with Ca, as well as variation of specific interfacial length with LCO2 saturation, are both in good agreement with the experimental observations. To understand the effect of heterogeneity on pore-scale displacement, we also simulate LCO2 displacing water in a randomly heterogeneous pore network, which has the samemore » size and porosity as the dual-permeability pore network. In comparison to the dual-permeability case, the transition from capillary fingering to viscous fingering occurs at a higher Ca, and LCO2 saturation is higher at low Ca but lower at high Ca. In either pore network, the LCO2-water specific interfacial length is found to obey a power-law dependence on LCO2 saturation.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1166855
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-99754
47657; KP1704020
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Advances in Water Resources, 73:144-158
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Advances in Water Resources, 73:144-158
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
pore-scale modeling; micromodels; Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory

Citation Formats

Liu, Haihu, Valocchi, Albert J., Werth, Charles J., Kang, Oinjun, and Oostrom, Martinus. Pore-scale simulation of liquid CO2 displacement of water using a two-phase lattice Boltzmann model. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1016/j.advwatres.2014.07.010.
Liu, Haihu, Valocchi, Albert J., Werth, Charles J., Kang, Oinjun, & Oostrom, Martinus. Pore-scale simulation of liquid CO2 displacement of water using a two-phase lattice Boltzmann model. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2014.07.010
Liu, Haihu, Valocchi, Albert J., Werth, Charles J., Kang, Oinjun, and Oostrom, Martinus. 2014. "Pore-scale simulation of liquid CO2 displacement of water using a two-phase lattice Boltzmann model". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2014.07.010.
@article{osti_1166855,
title = {Pore-scale simulation of liquid CO2 displacement of water using a two-phase lattice Boltzmann model},
author = {Liu, Haihu and Valocchi, Albert J. and Werth, Charles J. and Kang, Oinjun and Oostrom, Martinus},
abstractNote = {A lattice Boltzmann color-fluid model, which was recently proposed by Liu et al. [H. Liu, A.J. Valocchi, and Q. Kang. Three-dimensional lattice Boltzmann model for immiscible two-phase flow simulations. Phys. Rev. E, 85:046309, 2012.] based on a concept of continuum surface force, is improved to simulate immiscible two-phase flows in porous media. The new improvements allow the model to account for different kinematic viscosities of both fluids and to model fluid-solid interactions. The capability and accuracy of this model is first validated by two benchmark tests: a layered two-phase flow with a viscosity ratio, and a dynamic capillary intrusion. This model is then used to simulate liquid CO2 (LCO2) displacing water in a dual-permeability pore network. The extent and behavior of LCO2 preferential flow (i.e., fingering) is found to depend on the capillary number (Ca), and three different displacement patterns observed in previous micromodel experiments are reproduced. The predicted variation of LCO2 saturation with Ca, as well as variation of specific interfacial length with LCO2 saturation, are both in good agreement with the experimental observations. To understand the effect of heterogeneity on pore-scale displacement, we also simulate LCO2 displacing water in a randomly heterogeneous pore network, which has the same size and porosity as the dual-permeability pore network. In comparison to the dual-permeability case, the transition from capillary fingering to viscous fingering occurs at a higher Ca, and LCO2 saturation is higher at low Ca but lower at high Ca. In either pore network, the LCO2-water specific interfacial length is found to obey a power-law dependence on LCO2 saturation.},
doi = {10.1016/j.advwatres.2014.07.010},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1166855}, journal = {Advances in Water Resources, 73:144-158},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}