Abstract
Flow of dilute, stable emulsions in porous media is important in several oil recovery processes. Because underground media have relatively low permeabilities, the emulsion drop sizes may overlap the pore sizes. Hence, strong interaction occurs between the emulsion droplets and pore constrictions, and local flow redistribution occurs within the porous medium. To predict quantitatively how emulsions are transported in underground media, a theoretical model is required which correctly accounts for the interactions between the flowing droplets and the pore walls. In Part I of this work, we present a simplified filtration model describing the flow of stable, dilute emulsions in unconsolidated porous media. In the model, emulsion drops are captured in pores by straining and interception and, thus, reduce the overall permeability. Transient flow behaviour is characterized by there parameters: a filter coefficient, a flow-redistribution parameter and a flow-restriction parameter. The filter coefficient controls the sharpness of the emulsion front, the flow-redistribution parameter dictates the steady-state retention, as well as the flow redistribution phenomenon, and the flow-restriction parameters describes the effectiveness of retained drops in reducing permeability. Critical comparison is made between the new filtration theory and the current continuum—viscous and retardation models for emulsion flow in porous media. Only the filtration picture is able to explain all the experimental observations. Quantitative comparison between the filtration flow theory and experiment is presented in Part II.
Published Version
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