Investigating the correlation between residual nonwetting phase liquids and pore-scale geometry and topology using synchrotron X-ray tomography
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
12-1-2004
Abstract
The entrapment of nonwetting phase fluids in unconsolidated porous media systems is strongly dependent on the porescale geometry and topology. Synchrotron X-ray tomography allows us to nondestructively obtain high-resolution (on the order of 1-10 micron), three-dimensional images of multiphase porous media systems. Over the past year, a number of multiphase porous media systems have been imaged using the synchrotron X-ray tomography station at the GeoSoilEnviroCARS beamline at the Advanced Photon Source. For each of these systems, we are able to: (1) obtain the physically-representative network structure of the void space including the pore body and throat distribution, coordination number, and aspect ratio; (2) characterize the individual nonwetting phase blobs/ganglia (e.g., volume, sphericity, orientation, surface area); and (3) correlate the porous media and fluid properties. The images, data, and network structure obtained from these experiments provide us with a better understanding of the processes and phenomena associated with the entrapment of nonwetting phase fluids. Results from these experiments will also be extremely useful for researchers interested in interphase mass transfer and those utilizing network models to study the flow of multiphase fluids in porous media systems.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
First Page
101
Last Page
111
Recommended Citation
Willson, C., Stacey, R., Ham, K., & Thompson, K. (2004). Investigating the correlation between residual nonwetting phase liquids and pore-scale geometry and topology using synchrotron X-ray tomography. Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, 5535, 101-111. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.560545
