Technical Papers and Presentations

Pore-scale modeling of multiphase flow through porous media is addressed most frequently to improve our understanding of flow and transport phenomena in such settings. It can be used to obtain macro-scale constitutive equations, to assign multiphase flow properties in large scale models, to predict how these properties may vary with rock type, wettability, etc. The description of a physical interface separating different phases inside a pore volume is a problem of crucial importance for such a modeling. The diffuse interface method is based on thermodynamical treatment of phase transition (or phase mixing) zone. As a result, it is a good choice for a numerical technique, handling the morphological changes of the interface. In all cases we calculated the relationship between overall pressure gradient and flow rate, which were also expressed in terms of relative permeability. Flow stability, the impact of wettability on the flow pattern and computational performance are discussed. We conclude by suggesting possible ways of model improvement.