Abstract
Capillarity, gravity and viscous forces control the migration of fluids in geologic formations. However, experimental work addressing the impact of injection flow rate in fractured core samples is limited. Understanding how injection flow rate affects fracturematrix transfer mechanisms and invasion front evolution in fractured geomaterials are of crucial importance to modeling and prediction of multiphase ground flow. In this study, we monitor and analyze transfer mechanisms in a rock sample with a single tensile horizontal fracture using medical X-ray computed tomography. The impact of different injection rates on the resulting fluid recovery and saturation maps is evaluated through visual and quantitative analyses. Results from this investigation provide a comprehensive set of data for the validation of numerical models and strengthen fundamental understanding of multiphase flow in fractured rocks.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Advances in Computed Tomography for Geomaterials |
| Subtitle of host publication | GeoX 2010 |
| Publisher | John Wiley and Sons |
| Pages | 230-237 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781848211797 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 21 2013 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General Engineering