Pore-scale simulation of laminar flow through porous media

31st UIT (Italian Union of Thermo-fluid-dynamics) Heat Transfer Conference 2013

Piller, M.^1 ; Casagrande, D.^2 ; Schena, G.^1 ; Santini, M.^2

Dipartimento di Ingegneria e Architettura, Università Degli Studi di Trieste, via A. Valerio, 6/1, 34127 Trieste, Italy^1

Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università Degli Studi di Bergamo, viale Marconi, 5, 24044 Dalmine (BG), Italy^2

关键词: Experimental investigations;    Flow through porous medias;    Fluid dynamics simulations;    Image processing technique;    Optical access;    Pore-scale simulation;    Relative permeability;    X-ray micro tomographies;   

Others  :  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/501/1/012010/pdf
DOI  :  10.1088/1742-6596/501/1/012010

来源: IOP

【 摘 要 】

The experimental investigation of flow through porous media is inherently difficult due to the lack of optical access. The recent developments in the fields of X-ray micro-tomography (micro-CT hereafter), digital sample reconstruction by image-processing techniques and fluid-dynamics simulation, together with the increasing power of super-computers, allow to carry out pore-scale simulations through digitally-reconstructed porous samples. The scientific relevance of pore-scale simulations lies in the possibility of upscaling the pore-level data, yielding volume-averaged quantities useful for practical purposes. One of the best-known examples of upscaling is the calculation of absolute and relative permeability of reservoir rocks. This contribution presents a complete work-flow for setting up pore-scale simulations, starting from the micro-CT of a (in general small) porous sample. Relevant applications are discussed in order to reveal the potential of the proposed methodology.