Investigating the correlation between residual nonwetting phase liquids and pore-scale geometry and topology using synchrotron x-ray tomography

Clinton S. Willson; Robert W. Stacey; Kyungmin Ham; Karsten E. Thompson

doi:10.1117/12.560545

26 October 2004 Investigating the correlation between residual nonwetting phase liquids and pore-scale geometry and topology using synchrotron x-ray tomography

Clinton S. Willson, Robert W. Stacey, Kyungmin Ham, Karsten E. Thompson

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5535, Developments in X-Ray Tomography IV; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.560545
Event: Optical Science and Technology, the SPIE 49th Annual Meeting, 2004, Denver, Colorado, United States

Abstract

The entrapment of nonwetting phase fluids in unconsolidated porous media systems is strongly dependent on the pore-scale 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.

Citation Download Citation

Clinton S. Willson, Robert W. Stacey, Kyungmin Ham, and Karsten E. Thompson "Investigating the correlation between residual nonwetting phase liquids and pore-scale geometry and topology using synchrotron x-ray tomography", Proc. SPIE 5535, Developments in X-Ray Tomography IV, (26 October 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.560545

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