Speaker
Description
Understanding pore-scale fluid dynamics is fundamental to optimising CO₂ and hydrogen geological storage strategies. Here, we present a comprehensive pore-scale investigation of reactive and non-reactive multiphase flow dynamics using 4D synchrotron X-ray imaging coupled with high-resolution microscale core-flooding experiments, enabling direct, time-resolved visualization of fluid displacement and pore-structure evolution within real rock samples.
In reactive transport experiments, CO₂ injection into carbonate rocks reveals dynamically evolving mineral dissolution, leading to pronounced pore-scale structural alteration and significant modification of capillary trapping behaviour. Time-resolved 3D imaging demonstrates that trapping efficiency in reactive environments is strongly controlled by the dynamic evolution of pore geometry, rather than by static rock properties alone.
For non-reactive two-phase flow, we systematically explore flow-regime transitions with increasing flow rate, progressing from classical Darcy-linear behaviour to a non-linear intermittent regime and, at higher velocities, to a previously unidentified near-linear intermittent flow regime. Despite persistent pore-scale intermittency, 4D synchrotron observations reveal an apparent re-linearisation of the macroscopic pressure–flow relationship, arising from changes in the spatiotemporal statistics of intermittent displacement events. Our experiments provide the first direct pore-scale visualization and quantitative characterization of this near-linear intermittent state.
These findings challenge the common assumption that non-linearity in two-phase porous media flow increases monotonically with flow rate and highlight limitations of conventional Darcy-based models under realistic storage conditions. By resolving both reactive pore evolution and non-reactive flow intermittency in four dimensions, this work advances fundamental understanding of multiphase transport and provides critical insights for improving predictive models and enhancing the safety and efficiency of subsurface CO₂ and hydrogen storage.
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Green Housing & Porous Media Focused Abstracts | This abstract is related to Green Housing |
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