Fully Implicit Dynamic Pore-Network Modeling of Two-Phase Flow and Phase Change in Porous Media

Fully Implicit Dynamic Pore-Network Modeling of Two-Phase Flow and Phase Change in Porous Media

Sidian Chen, Chaozhong Qin, Bo Guo

We develop a novel fully implicit dynamic pore-network model for two-phase flow in porous media. The algorithm is numerically stable and mass conservative for all flow regimes including near quasi-static (Ca→0) and unfavorable displacements. The dynamic simulations precisely recover the quasi-static solutions at equilibrium states. Additionally, the framework has been extended to include compressible two-phase flow, multicomponent transport, and phase change dynamics. Example simulations of two-phase displacements accounting for phase change show that evaporation and condensation can suppress fingering patterns generated during invasion. More generally, the current framework allows for coupling other physical and chemical processes for broader applications.

Water Resources Research 2020, 56(11)
Corresponding Author: Bo Guo