Two-phase flow in two digital cores is simulated by the color-gradient lattice Boltzmann method.This model can be applied totwo-phase flow with high-density ratio(on order of 1000).The first digital core is an artific...Two-phase flow in two digital cores is simulated by the color-gradient lattice Boltzmann method.This model can be applied totwo-phase flow with high-density ratio(on order of 1000).The first digital core is an artificial sandstone core,and itsthree-dimensional gray model is obtained by Micro-CT scanning.The gray scale images are segmented into discrete phases(solid particles and pore space) by the Otsu algorithm.The second one is a digital core of shale,which is reconstructed usingMarkov Chain Monte Carlo method with segmented SEM scanning image as input.The wettability of solid wall and relativepermeability of a cylindrical tube are simulated to verify the model.In the simulations of liquid and gas two phase flow in digital cores,density ratios of 100,200,500 and 1000 between liquid and gas are chosen.Based on the gas distribution in the digital core at different times,it is found that the fingering phenomenon is more salient at high density ratio.With the density ratioincreasing,the displacement efficiency decreases.Besides,due to numerous small pores in the shale,the displacement efficiency is over 20% less than that in the artificial sandstone and the difference is even about 30% when density ratio is greaterthan 500.As the density ratio increases,the gas saturation decreases in big pores,and even reaches zero in some small pores orbig pores with small throats.Residual liquid mainly distributes in the small pores and the edge of big pores due to the wettability of liquid.Liquid recovery can be enhanced effectively by decreasing its viscosity.展开更多
Pore scale variables(e.g.,porosity,grain size)are important indexes to predict the hydraulic properties of porous geomaterials.X-ray images from ten types of intact sandstones and another type of sandstone samples sub...Pore scale variables(e.g.,porosity,grain size)are important indexes to predict the hydraulic properties of porous geomaterials.X-ray images from ten types of intact sandstones and another type of sandstone samples subjected to triaxial compression are used to investigate the permeability and fracture characteristics.A novel double threshold segmentation algorithm is proposed to segment cracks,pores and grains,and pore scale variables are defined and extracted from these X-ray CT images to study the geometric characteristics of microstructures of porous geomaterials.Moreover,novel relations among these pore scale variables for permeability prediction are established,and the evolution process of cracks is investigated.The results indicate that the porescale permeability is prominently improved by cracks.In addition,excellent agreements are found between the measured and the estimated pore scale variables and permeability.The established correlations can be employed to effectively identify the hydraulic properties of porous geomaterials.展开更多
The numerical modeling of oil displacement by nanofluid based on three-dimensional micromodel of cores with different permeability was carried out by the volume of fluid(VOF)method with experimentally measured values ...The numerical modeling of oil displacement by nanofluid based on three-dimensional micromodel of cores with different permeability was carried out by the volume of fluid(VOF)method with experimentally measured values of interfacial tension,contact angle and viscosity.Water-based suspensions of SiO_(2) nanoparticles with a concentration of 0–1%and different particle sizes were considered to study the effect of concentration and size of nanoparticles,displacement fluid flow rate,oil viscosity and core permeability on the efficiency of oil displacement by nanofluid.The oil recovery factor(ORF)increases with the increase of mass fraction of nanoparticles.An increase in nanoparticles’concentration to 0.5% allows an increase in ORF by about 19% compared to water flooding.The ORF increases with the decrease of nanoparticle size,and declines with the increase of displacing rate.It has been shown that the use of nanosuspensions for enhanced oil recovery is most effective for low-permeable reservoirs with highly viscous oil in injection modes with capillary number close to the immobilization threshold,and the magnitude of oil recovery enhancement decreases with the increase of displacement speed.The higher the oil viscosity,the lower the reservoir rock permeability,the higher the ORF improved by nanofluids will be.展开更多
CO_(2) huff-n-puff shows great potential to promote shale oil recovery after primary depletion.However,the extracting process of shale oil residing in different types of pores induced by the injected CO_(2) remains un...CO_(2) huff-n-puff shows great potential to promote shale oil recovery after primary depletion.However,the extracting process of shale oil residing in different types of pores induced by the injected CO_(2) remains unclear.Moreover,how to saturate shale core samples with oil is still an experimental challenge,and needs a recommended procedure.These issues significantly impede probing CO_(2) huff-n-puff in extracting shale oil as a means of enhanced oil recovery(EOR)processes.In this paper,the oil saturation process of shale core samples and their CO_(2) extraction response with respect to pore types were investigated using online T1-T2nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)spectroscopy.The results indicated that the oil saturation of shale core samples rapidly increased in the first 16 days under the conditions of 60℃and 30 MPa and then tended to plateau.The maximum oil saturation could reach 46.2%after a vacuum and pressurization duration of 20 days.After saturation,three distinct regions were identified on the T1-T2NMR spectra of the shale core samples,corresponding to kerogen,organic pores(OPs),and inorganic pores(IPs),respectively.The oil trapped in IPs was the primary target for CO_(2) huff-n-puff in shale with a maximum cumulative oil recovery(COR)of 70%original oil in place(OOIP)after three cycles,while the oil trapped in OPs and kerogen presented challenges for extraction(COR<24.2%OOIP in OPs and almost none for kerogen).CO_(2) preferentially extracted the accessible oil trapped in large IPs,while due to the tiny pores and strong affinity of oil-wet walls,the oil saturated in OPs mainly existed in an adsorbed state,leading to an insignificant COR.Furthermore,COR demonstrated a linear increasing tendency with soaking pressure,even when the pressure noticeably exceeded the minimum miscible pressure,implying that the formation of a miscible phase between CO_(2) and oil was not the primary drive for CO_(2) huff-n-puff in shale.展开更多
Correctly tracking the evolution of spatial heterogeneity of local degree of saturation(Sr)in unsaturated soils is essential to explain the seepage phenomenon,which is crucial to assessing slope stability.Several meth...Correctly tracking the evolution of spatial heterogeneity of local degree of saturation(Sr)in unsaturated soils is essential to explain the seepage phenomenon,which is crucial to assessing slope stability.Several methods exist for quantifying the heterogeneity of local S_(r).However,a comprehensive comparison of these methods in terms of accuracy,relative advantages,and disadvantages is currently lacking.This paper presents a comparative analysis of local Sr obtained at multiple scales,ranging from the element scale to the slice,representative element volume(REV),pore,and voxel scales.The spatial heterogeneity of Sr in an unsaturated glass beads specimen at different matric suctions was visualised and quantified by multiscale X-ray micro-focus computed tomography image-based analysis methods.Local Sr obtained at different scales displayed a comparable trend along the sample depth,yet the REV-scale method showed a much scattered and discontinuous distribution.In contrast,the pore-scale method detected a distinct two-clustered,bimodal distribution of S_(r).The pore-scale method has the highest integrated resolution,as it has the highest spatial resolution(i.e.number of data points)and provides more information(i.e.number of extractable physical parameters).This method thus provides a more effective approach for tracking the spatial heterogeneity of S_(r).Based on this method,pore-scale water retention curves were determined,offering new quantitative means to characterise pore water heterogeneity and explainwater drainage processes such as hysteresis at the pore scale.展开更多
Pore structure of porous media, including pore size and topology, is rather complex. In immiscible twophase displacement process, the capillary force affected by pore size dominates the two-phase flow in the porous me...Pore structure of porous media, including pore size and topology, is rather complex. In immiscible twophase displacement process, the capillary force affected by pore size dominates the two-phase flow in the porous media, affecting displacement results. Direct observation of the flow patterns in the porous media is difficult, and therefore knowledge about the two-phase displacement flow is insufficient. In this paper, a two-dimensional(2D) pore structure was extracted from a sandstone sample, and the flow process that CO_2 displaces resident brine in the extracted pore structure was simulated using the Navier eStokes equation combined with the conservative level set method. The simulation results reveal that the pore throat is a crucial factor for determining CO_2 displacement process in the porous media. The two-phase meniscuses in each pore throat were in a self-adjusting process. In the displacement process,CO_2 preferentially broke through the maximum pore throat. Before breaking through the maximum pore throat, the pressure of CO_2 continually increased, and the curvature and position of two-phase interfaces in the other pore throats adjusted accordingly. Once the maximum pore throat was broken through by the CO_2, the capillary force in the other pore throats released accordingly; subsequently, the interfaces withdrew under the effect of capillary fore, preparing for breaking through the next pore throat.Therefore, the two-phase displacement in CO_2 injection is accompanied by the breaking through and adjusting of the two-phase interfaces.展开更多
Based on micro-CT scanning experiments, three-dimensional digital cores of tight sandstones were established to quantitatively evaluate pore-scale anisotropy and pore-distribution heterogeneity. The quartet structure ...Based on micro-CT scanning experiments, three-dimensional digital cores of tight sandstones were established to quantitatively evaluate pore-scale anisotropy and pore-distribution heterogeneity. The quartet structure generation set method was used to generate three-dimensional anisotropic, heterogeneous porous media models. A multi-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann model was applied to analyze relationships of permeability with pore-scale anisotropy and pore distribution heterogeneity, and the microscopic influence mechanism was also investigated. The tight sandstones are of complex pore morphology, strong anisotropy and pore distribution heterogeneity, while anisotropy factor has obvious directivity. The obvious anisotropy influences the orientation of long axis of pores and fluid flow path, making tortuosity smaller and flowing energy loss less in the direction with the greater anisotropy factor. The strong correlation of tortuosity and anisotropy is the inherent reason of anisotropy acting on permeability. The influence of pore distribution heterogeneity on permeability is the combined effects of specific surface area and tortuosity, while the product of specific surface area and tortuosity shows significantly negative correlation with heterogeneity. The stronger the pore distribution heterogeneity, the smaller the product and the greater the permeability. In addition, the permeability and tortuosity of complex porous media satisfy a power relation with a high fitting precision, which can be applied for approximate estimation of core permeability.展开更多
The penetration of water during water flooding has been observed over many years using several methods. A microfocused X-ray computed tomography scanner can be used to directly observe 3D water flooding in a nondestru...The penetration of water during water flooding has been observed over many years using several methods. A microfocused X-ray computed tomography scanner can be used to directly observe 3D water flooding in a nondestructive manner. To eliminate the possibility of false images being produced because of X-ray broadening effects, we developed a visualization method by arranging the brightness distribution of all phases involved. Water flooding experiments were conducted using oil-wet and water-wet porous media. The water phase was injected upward into packed glass beads containing an oil phase, and the process was scanned every minute until steady state was reached. Using this scheme, real-time, the water invasion pattern and oil trapping process in clusters of pores and individual pores can be observed clearly. By eliminating false images, the boundary of each phase could be identified with high precision, even in a single pore. Porelevel phenomena, including snap off (which has never before been captured in a real 3D porous medium), piston-like displacement, and the curvature of the interface, were also observed. Direct measurement of the pore throat radius and the contact angle between the wetting and nonwetting phases gave an approximation of the capillary pressure during the piston-like displacement and snap-off processes.展开更多
Osmotic water alters the physicochemical properties and internal structures of limestone.This issue is particularly critical in tunnel construction across mountainous regions with aquifers,where pressurized groundwate...Osmotic water alters the physicochemical properties and internal structures of limestone.This issue is particularly critical in tunnel construction across mountainous regions with aquifers,where pressurized groundwater can destabilize the limestone-based surrounding rock.Thus,systematic research into the physicochemical properties and pore structure changes in the limestone under pressurized water is essential.Additionally,it is essential to develop an interpretable mathematical model to accurately depict how pressurized osmotic water weakens limestone.In this research,a specialized device was designed to simulate the process of osmotic laminar flow within limestone.Then,four main tests were conducted:mass loss,acoustic emission(AE),mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP),and fluorescence analysis.Experimental results gained from tests led to the development of a“Particle-pore throat-water film”model.Proposed model explains water-induced physicochemical and pore changes in limestone under osmotic pressure and reveals evolutionary mechanisms as pressure increases.Based on experimental results and model,we found that osmotic pressure not only alters limestone composition but also affects pore throats larger than 0.1μm.Furthermore,osmotic pressure expands pore throats,enhancing pore structure uniformity,interconnectivity,and permeability.These effects are observed at a threshold of 7.5 MPa,where cohesive forces within the mineral lattice are surpassed,leading to the breakdown of erosion-resistant layer and a significant increase in hydrochemical erosion.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51234007,51404291)Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University(Grant No.IRT1294)Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities(Grant No.B08028)
文摘Two-phase flow in two digital cores is simulated by the color-gradient lattice Boltzmann method.This model can be applied totwo-phase flow with high-density ratio(on order of 1000).The first digital core is an artificial sandstone core,and itsthree-dimensional gray model is obtained by Micro-CT scanning.The gray scale images are segmented into discrete phases(solid particles and pore space) by the Otsu algorithm.The second one is a digital core of shale,which is reconstructed usingMarkov Chain Monte Carlo method with segmented SEM scanning image as input.The wettability of solid wall and relativepermeability of a cylindrical tube are simulated to verify the model.In the simulations of liquid and gas two phase flow in digital cores,density ratios of 100,200,500 and 1000 between liquid and gas are chosen.Based on the gas distribution in the digital core at different times,it is found that the fingering phenomenon is more salient at high density ratio.With the density ratioincreasing,the displacement efficiency decreases.Besides,due to numerous small pores in the shale,the displacement efficiency is over 20% less than that in the artificial sandstone and the difference is even about 30% when density ratio is greaterthan 500.As the density ratio increases,the gas saturation decreases in big pores,and even reaches zero in some small pores orbig pores with small throats.Residual liquid mainly distributes in the small pores and the edge of big pores due to the wettability of liquid.Liquid recovery can be enhanced effectively by decreasing its viscosity.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.51839009 and 51679017)the Graduate Research and Innovation Foundation of Chongqing,China(Grant No.CYB18037).
文摘Pore scale variables(e.g.,porosity,grain size)are important indexes to predict the hydraulic properties of porous geomaterials.X-ray images from ten types of intact sandstones and another type of sandstone samples subjected to triaxial compression are used to investigate the permeability and fracture characteristics.A novel double threshold segmentation algorithm is proposed to segment cracks,pores and grains,and pore scale variables are defined and extracted from these X-ray CT images to study the geometric characteristics of microstructures of porous geomaterials.Moreover,novel relations among these pore scale variables for permeability prediction are established,and the evolution process of cracks is investigated.The results indicate that the porescale permeability is prominently improved by cracks.In addition,excellent agreements are found between the measured and the estimated pore scale variables and permeability.The established correlations can be employed to effectively identify the hydraulic properties of porous geomaterials.
文摘The numerical modeling of oil displacement by nanofluid based on three-dimensional micromodel of cores with different permeability was carried out by the volume of fluid(VOF)method with experimentally measured values of interfacial tension,contact angle and viscosity.Water-based suspensions of SiO_(2) nanoparticles with a concentration of 0–1%and different particle sizes were considered to study the effect of concentration and size of nanoparticles,displacement fluid flow rate,oil viscosity and core permeability on the efficiency of oil displacement by nanofluid.The oil recovery factor(ORF)increases with the increase of mass fraction of nanoparticles.An increase in nanoparticles’concentration to 0.5% allows an increase in ORF by about 19% compared to water flooding.The ORF increases with the decrease of nanoparticle size,and declines with the increase of displacing rate.It has been shown that the use of nanosuspensions for enhanced oil recovery is most effective for low-permeable reservoirs with highly viscous oil in injection modes with capillary number close to the immobilization threshold,and the magnitude of oil recovery enhancement decreases with the increase of displacement speed.The higher the oil viscosity,the lower the reservoir rock permeability,the higher the ORF improved by nanofluids will be.
基金the financial support of National Key Research and Development Program of China(2023YFE0120700)National Natural Science Foundation of China(52274041)Distinguished Young Sichuan Science Scholars(2023NSFSC1954)。
文摘CO_(2) huff-n-puff shows great potential to promote shale oil recovery after primary depletion.However,the extracting process of shale oil residing in different types of pores induced by the injected CO_(2) remains unclear.Moreover,how to saturate shale core samples with oil is still an experimental challenge,and needs a recommended procedure.These issues significantly impede probing CO_(2) huff-n-puff in extracting shale oil as a means of enhanced oil recovery(EOR)processes.In this paper,the oil saturation process of shale core samples and their CO_(2) extraction response with respect to pore types were investigated using online T1-T2nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)spectroscopy.The results indicated that the oil saturation of shale core samples rapidly increased in the first 16 days under the conditions of 60℃and 30 MPa and then tended to plateau.The maximum oil saturation could reach 46.2%after a vacuum and pressurization duration of 20 days.After saturation,three distinct regions were identified on the T1-T2NMR spectra of the shale core samples,corresponding to kerogen,organic pores(OPs),and inorganic pores(IPs),respectively.The oil trapped in IPs was the primary target for CO_(2) huff-n-puff in shale with a maximum cumulative oil recovery(COR)of 70%original oil in place(OOIP)after three cycles,while the oil trapped in OPs and kerogen presented challenges for extraction(COR<24.2%OOIP in OPs and almost none for kerogen).CO_(2) preferentially extracted the accessible oil trapped in large IPs,while due to the tiny pores and strong affinity of oil-wet walls,the oil saturated in OPs mainly existed in an adsorbed state,leading to an insignificant COR.Furthermore,COR demonstrated a linear increasing tendency with soaking pressure,even when the pressure noticeably exceeded the minimum miscible pressure,implying that the formation of a miscible phase between CO_(2) and oil was not the primary drive for CO_(2) huff-n-puff in shale.
基金support provided by the research funds from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council(Grant Nos.16206623,N_HKUST603/22,and C6006-20G).
文摘Correctly tracking the evolution of spatial heterogeneity of local degree of saturation(Sr)in unsaturated soils is essential to explain the seepage phenomenon,which is crucial to assessing slope stability.Several methods exist for quantifying the heterogeneity of local S_(r).However,a comprehensive comparison of these methods in terms of accuracy,relative advantages,and disadvantages is currently lacking.This paper presents a comparative analysis of local Sr obtained at multiple scales,ranging from the element scale to the slice,representative element volume(REV),pore,and voxel scales.The spatial heterogeneity of Sr in an unsaturated glass beads specimen at different matric suctions was visualised and quantified by multiscale X-ray micro-focus computed tomography image-based analysis methods.Local Sr obtained at different scales displayed a comparable trend along the sample depth,yet the REV-scale method showed a much scattered and discontinuous distribution.In contrast,the pore-scale method detected a distinct two-clustered,bimodal distribution of S_(r).The pore-scale method has the highest integrated resolution,as it has the highest spatial resolution(i.e.number of data points)and provides more information(i.e.number of extractable physical parameters).This method thus provides a more effective approach for tracking the spatial heterogeneity of S_(r).Based on this method,pore-scale water retention curves were determined,offering new quantitative means to characterise pore water heterogeneity and explainwater drainage processes such as hysteresis at the pore scale.
基金funded by Key Laboratory of Coal-based CO_2 Capture and Geological Storage,Jiangsu Province,ChinaUS Advanced Coal Technology Consortium(No.2013 DFB60140-08)
文摘Pore structure of porous media, including pore size and topology, is rather complex. In immiscible twophase displacement process, the capillary force affected by pore size dominates the two-phase flow in the porous media, affecting displacement results. Direct observation of the flow patterns in the porous media is difficult, and therefore knowledge about the two-phase displacement flow is insufficient. In this paper, a two-dimensional(2D) pore structure was extracted from a sandstone sample, and the flow process that CO_2 displaces resident brine in the extracted pore structure was simulated using the Navier eStokes equation combined with the conservative level set method. The simulation results reveal that the pore throat is a crucial factor for determining CO_2 displacement process in the porous media. The two-phase meniscuses in each pore throat were in a self-adjusting process. In the displacement process,CO_2 preferentially broke through the maximum pore throat. Before breaking through the maximum pore throat, the pressure of CO_2 continually increased, and the curvature and position of two-phase interfaces in the other pore throats adjusted accordingly. Once the maximum pore throat was broken through by the CO_2, the capillary force in the other pore throats released accordingly; subsequently, the interfaces withdrew under the effect of capillary fore, preparing for breaking through the next pore throat.Therefore, the two-phase displacement in CO_2 injection is accompanied by the breaking through and adjusting of the two-phase interfaces.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(U1562217)National Basic Research Program of China(2015CB250900)
文摘Based on micro-CT scanning experiments, three-dimensional digital cores of tight sandstones were established to quantitatively evaluate pore-scale anisotropy and pore-distribution heterogeneity. The quartet structure generation set method was used to generate three-dimensional anisotropic, heterogeneous porous media models. A multi-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann model was applied to analyze relationships of permeability with pore-scale anisotropy and pore distribution heterogeneity, and the microscopic influence mechanism was also investigated. The tight sandstones are of complex pore morphology, strong anisotropy and pore distribution heterogeneity, while anisotropy factor has obvious directivity. The obvious anisotropy influences the orientation of long axis of pores and fluid flow path, making tortuosity smaller and flowing energy loss less in the direction with the greater anisotropy factor. The strong correlation of tortuosity and anisotropy is the inherent reason of anisotropy acting on permeability. The influence of pore distribution heterogeneity on permeability is the combined effects of specific surface area and tortuosity, while the product of specific surface area and tortuosity shows significantly negative correlation with heterogeneity. The stronger the pore distribution heterogeneity, the smaller the product and the greater the permeability. In addition, the permeability and tortuosity of complex porous media satisfy a power relation with a high fitting precision, which can be applied for approximate estimation of core permeability.
文摘The penetration of water during water flooding has been observed over many years using several methods. A microfocused X-ray computed tomography scanner can be used to directly observe 3D water flooding in a nondestructive manner. To eliminate the possibility of false images being produced because of X-ray broadening effects, we developed a visualization method by arranging the brightness distribution of all phases involved. Water flooding experiments were conducted using oil-wet and water-wet porous media. The water phase was injected upward into packed glass beads containing an oil phase, and the process was scanned every minute until steady state was reached. Using this scheme, real-time, the water invasion pattern and oil trapping process in clusters of pores and individual pores can be observed clearly. By eliminating false images, the boundary of each phase could be identified with high precision, even in a single pore. Porelevel phenomena, including snap off (which has never before been captured in a real 3D porous medium), piston-like displacement, and the curvature of the interface, were also observed. Direct measurement of the pore throat radius and the contact angle between the wetting and nonwetting phases gave an approximation of the capillary pressure during the piston-like displacement and snap-off processes.
基金funded by the National Key R&D Program of China(2023YFC3806800).
文摘Osmotic water alters the physicochemical properties and internal structures of limestone.This issue is particularly critical in tunnel construction across mountainous regions with aquifers,where pressurized groundwater can destabilize the limestone-based surrounding rock.Thus,systematic research into the physicochemical properties and pore structure changes in the limestone under pressurized water is essential.Additionally,it is essential to develop an interpretable mathematical model to accurately depict how pressurized osmotic water weakens limestone.In this research,a specialized device was designed to simulate the process of osmotic laminar flow within limestone.Then,four main tests were conducted:mass loss,acoustic emission(AE),mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP),and fluorescence analysis.Experimental results gained from tests led to the development of a“Particle-pore throat-water film”model.Proposed model explains water-induced physicochemical and pore changes in limestone under osmotic pressure and reveals evolutionary mechanisms as pressure increases.Based on experimental results and model,we found that osmotic pressure not only alters limestone composition but also affects pore throats larger than 0.1μm.Furthermore,osmotic pressure expands pore throats,enhancing pore structure uniformity,interconnectivity,and permeability.These effects are observed at a threshold of 7.5 MPa,where cohesive forces within the mineral lattice are surpassed,leading to the breakdown of erosion-resistant layer and a significant increase in hydrochemical erosion.
