Multiphase CFD modeling of front propagation in a Hele-Shaw cell featuring a localized constriction

Abstract

Liquid-gas front propagation in disordered media exhibits unique behavior during a repeated series of drainage-imbibition displacements. Such complex behavior in a disordered media can be simplified to a single mesa-shaped defect, which provides new insight into the collective behavior at the macro-scale. We show how the morphological difference in imbibition and drainage is affected by the capillary number and wetting properties.