PLIF and PTV studies of solute transport in a single fracture replica

Abstract:

A Bentheimer sandstone core sample with a stress-induced fracture was scanned with a micro-CT scanner to obtain fracture topology map, which was then used to manufacture a transparent hard PDMS replica. A medium-fluid system combination with matched refractive indices was used to conduct successive Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) and Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) measurements of solute transport at steady-state conditions. We map velocity fields under single-phase flow conditions with and without trapped non-wetting phase globules being present. The raw PTV data was averaged and arranged in a uniform mesh (Eulerian framework). We then used the mesh to simulate the solute transport using Markovian Random Walk technique. Taylor dispersion as well as Gelhar macrodispersion analyses are also presented. The simulation results are compared with their experimental counterparts.