H41D-1342
3D quantification of dynamic fluid-fluid interfaces in porous media with fast x-ray microtomography: A comparison with quasi-equilibrium methods

Thursday, 17 December 2015
Poster Hall (Moscone South)
Douglas Meisenheimer, Oregon State University, School of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering, Corvallis, OR, United States and Dorthe Wildenschild, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
Abstract:
X-ray microtomography imaging of fluid-fluid interfaces in three-dimensional porous media allows for the testing of thermodynamically derived predictions that seek a unique relationship between capillary pressure, fluid saturation, and specific interfacial area (Pc-Sw-Anw). Previous experimental studies sought to test this functional dependence under quasi-equilibrium conditions (assumed static on the imaging time-scale); however, applying predictive models developed under static conditions for dynamic scenarios can lead to substantial flaws in predicted outcomes. Theory and models developed using dynamic data can be verified using fast x-ray microtomography which allows for the unprecedented measurement of developing interfacial areas, curvatures, and trapping behaviors of fluid phases in three-dimensional systems. We will present results of drainage and imbibition experiments of air and water within a mixture of glass beads. The experiments were performed under both quasi-equilibrium and dynamic conditions at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory. Fast x-ray microtomography was achieved by utilizing the high brilliance of the x-ray beam at the APS under pink-beam conditions where the white beam is modified with a 4 mm Al absorber and a 0.8 mrad Pt-coated mirror to eliminate low and high-energy photons, respectively. We present a comparison of the results from the quasi-equilibrium and dynamic experiments in an effort to determine if the Pc-Sw-Anw relationship is comparable under either experimental condition and to add to the discussion on whether the Pc-Sw-Anw relationship is unique as hypothesized by existing theory.