Abstract
A novel approach of simulating hydromechanical coupling in pore-scale models of porous media is presented in this paper. Parameters of the sandstone samples, such as the stress-strain curve, Poisson's ratio, and permeability under different pore pressure and confining pressure, are tested in laboratory scale. The micro-CT scanner is employed to scan the samples for three-dimensional images, as input to construct the model. Accordingly, four physical models possessing the same pore and rock matrix characteristics as the natural sandstones are developed. Based on the micro-CT images, the three-dimensional finite element models of both rock matrix and pore space are established by MIMICS and ICEM software platform. Navier-Stokes equation and elastic constitutive equation are used as the mathematical model for simulation. A hydromechanical coupling analysis in pore-scale finite element model of porous media is simulated by ANSYS and CFX software. Hereby, permeability of sandstone samples under different pore pressure and confining pressure has been predicted. The simulation results agree well with the benchmark data. Through reproducing its stress state underground, the prediction accuracy of the porous rock permeability in pore-scale simulation is promoted. Consequently, the effects of pore pressure and confining pressure on permeability are revealed from the microscopic view.
Highlights
All fluid transport properties of porous media at in situ conditions, permeability has been conducted as a critical topic in many research fields such as oil and gas production, carbon dioxide storage, underground gas storage, coal mining, and fuel cell [1,2,3,4]
Breakthrough in this field can be summarized as two aspects: lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) and finite element method (FEM)
While Navier-Stokes equations are usually adopted in FEM [12], two-dimensional (2D) [13, 14] and three-dimensional (3D) [15,16,17] pore networks of heterogeneous porous media are used in these simulations
Summary
All fluid transport properties of porous media at in situ conditions, permeability has been conducted as a critical topic in many research fields such as oil and gas production, carbon dioxide storage, underground gas storage, coal mining, and fuel cell [1,2,3,4]. Pore-scale modeling representing microstructures of porous media has been widely used for fluid transport properties prediction. Breakthrough in this field can be summarized as two aspects: lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) and finite element method (FEM). This paper proposes a novel approach of reconstructing the 3D finite elements model from natural porous media images employing the commercial software MIMICS [19] and ICEM [20], which are prior to the pore network model based on some basic assumptions These 3D FEM models are able to reproduce the real shape of natural porous media compared to most LBM models. The results between the numerical simulation and experiment are compared,
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