Abstract
In this paper, an approximate integral equation solution for a horizontal, unsteady flow of two viscous incompressible fluids is derived. Wettability variation of the porous medium is also considered in the present study. The non-wetting phase recovery fraction is obtained in terms of dimensionless time for 1D model from the derived solution. The derived approximate recovery fraction has been compared with the existing experimental data and empirical correlations for spontaneous imbibition from water-wet medium. It is observed that the normalized water saturation profiles show sharp gradients indicating some instability of the water front. Hence, a linear stability analysis is developed to study viscous instability of the co-current spontaneous imbibition. Viscous instability phenomenon for a two-phase oil–water system is also discussed. The corresponding instability number related to co-current imbibition recovery is estimated. The present study clearly spells out the effect of the instability number on the recovery process and estimates a critical instability number for co-current spontaneous imbibition.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
