Capillarity-induced flow in wetting liquid films: Implications for the recovery of volatile oils from fractured porous media

Yiotis, AG; Boudouvis, AG; Stubos, AK; Tsimpanogiannis, IN; Yortsos, YC

dc.contributor.author	Yiotis, AG	en
dc.contributor.author	Boudouvis, AG	en
dc.contributor.author	Stubos, AK	en
dc.contributor.author	Tsimpanogiannis, IN	en
dc.contributor.author	Yortsos, YC	en
dc.date.accessioned	2014-03-01T02:49:43Z
dc.date.available	2014-03-01T02:49:43Z
dc.date.issued	2004	en
dc.identifier.uri	https://dspace.lib.ntua.gr/xmlui/handle/123456789/34706
dc.relation.uri	http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-22044446088&partnerID=40&md5=209641f062f3632fd428e64761620c9e	en
dc.subject.other	Disconnected clusters (DC)	en
dc.subject.other	Empirical coefficients	en
dc.subject.other	Liquid films	en
dc.subject.other	Volatile oils	en
dc.subject.other	Binary mixtures	en
dc.subject.other	Capillary flow	en
dc.subject.other	Computer simulation	en
dc.subject.other	Dissolution	en
dc.subject.other	Films	en
dc.subject.other	Fracturing (oil wells)	en
dc.subject.other	Gravitational effects	en
dc.subject.other	Hydraulic conductivity	en
dc.subject.other	Mass transfer	en
dc.subject.other	Numerical analysis	en
dc.subject.other	Porous materials	en
dc.subject.other	Crude petroleum	en
dc.title	Capillarity-induced flow in wetting liquid films: Implications for the recovery of volatile oils from fractured porous media	en
heal.type	conferenceItem	en
heal.identifier.secondary	SPE 90744	en
heal.publicationDate	2004	en
heal.abstract	The recovery of volatile oils from the matrix of fractured porous media can be significantly aided through gas injection. Within certain assumptions, this process operates much like the isothermal drying of porous media. For example, the recovery from the matrix block is controlled by mechanisms involving capillary, viscous and buoyancy forces in the liquid and the liquid-gas interfaces, and mass diffusion and convection in the gas phase. The receding of the liquid phase is followed by the formation of macroscopic liquid films along the pore walls. Films provide hydraulic conductivity between macroscopically isolated liquid clusters and help transfer liquid over significant distances in the porous matrix. In this work, we study the effect of such films. We propose a mathematical model for the capillarity-driven flow through wetting films in the context of evaporation and drying. A pore-network simulator that accounts for flow through liquid films, viscous flow in the bulk liquid phase of the clusters and mass transfer by diffusion in the gas phase is used. We study the effect of liquid films on phase distribution patterns and rates of recovery. We find that under strong capillarity conditions, the films span across the whole block, enhancing significantly liquid flow from distant clusters and improving recovery rates. An upscaling of the pore-network findings to macroscopic quantities is then presented. We comment on the extension of the method to binary mixtures and gravity effects. Our results show that flow through liquid films is a major transport mechanism in such processes. Copyright 2004, Society of Petroleum Engineers Inc.	en
heal.journalName	Proceedings - SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition	en
dc.identifier.spage	3767	en
dc.identifier.epage	3778	en