Dynamics of Time Dependent Immiscible Injection Flows in Porous Media
Abstract
The viscosity contrast between fluids in a porous medium often leads to the formation of instabilities at the interface between the fluids, known as viscous fingering. In many applications, better control over this phenomenon is necessary. The occurrence of viscous fingering between immiscible fluids in a porous medium is examined based on time-dependent injection policies. Linear Stability Analysis and Non-Linear simulations are used to track the growth of viscous instability. The Immersed Interface Method and the Level Set Method are adopted to model the dynamics of an interface numerically. Using these tools, this work focuses on three types of injection schemes: monotonic, cyclic and control injections. Previous studies on the topic are confirmed, while novel approaches are explored. The behavior of the interface is investigated qualitatively and quantitatively. Cyclic injection schemes and monotonic injection schemes were shown to reduce instabilities compared to constant injection schemes, while controlled injection has been demonstrated to limit and even remove previously developed instabilities. Although many injection policies can enhance viscous fingering, certain types of injection scheme can attenuate such instabilities, making displacement more efficient.
Description
Keywords
Engineering--Chemical, Engineering--Petroleum
Citation
Lins, T. (2017). Dynamics of Time Dependent Immiscible Injection Flows in Porous Media (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/25764