Probabilistic Nucleation Governs Time, Amount, and Location of Mineral Precipitation and Geometry Evolution in the Porous Medium

Probabilistic nucleation governs time, amount, and location of mineral precipitation and geometry evolution in the porous medium

Mohammad Nooraiepour, Mohammad Masoudi & Helge Hellevang

A critical question in reactive transport is how pore-scale processes can be upscaled and how predictions can be made on the mutual effect of chemical processes and fluid flow in the porous medium. For mineral precipitation, it is paramount to predict the location of crystals besides their amount. However, current models fail to predict precisely where crystals will nucleate and grow in the spatiotemporal domain. We present a new mathematical model and LBM representation for probabilistic mineral nucleation and precipitation. The work provides insight into the evolution of porous media by suggesting probabilistic and deterministic domains. Furthermore, we indicate in which length- and time-scales it is essential to incorporate probabilistic nucleation for valid predictions.

Scientific Reports 11 (2021)
Corresponding Authors: Mohammad Nooraiepour