InterPore2026

Physics-based closure for population balance modelling of foam transport in unconsolidated porous media

22 May 2026, 15:30

1h 30m

Poster Presentation (MS05) Physics of multiphase flow in diverse porous media Poster

Speaker

Adil Baigadilov (BRGM, Université Paris Cité, Institut de physique du globe de Paris, CNRS)

Description

Foam transport in porous media is encountered in Enhanced Oil Recovery and, increasingly, for soil and groundwater remediation, where foam is used for the displacement of pollutants, efficient delivery of reactants, and diversion of groundwater flow to protect water resources. In these applications, foam behavior is strongly influenced by the interplay between gas trapping and foam texture evolution, motivating the use of modelling approaches that explicitly represent these mechanisms
Population balance models (PBMs) provide a mechanistic framework for describing foam transport by accounting for foam generation and coalescence processes [1]. Both transient and steady-state formulations have been proposed, with local equilibrium (steady-state) assumptions being widely applied when experimental conditions indicate stabilized foam texture and pressure response. A key closure relationship in such models is the flowing foam fraction, which quantifies the partitioning of gas between flowing and trapped states. However, most existing expressions for the flowing foam fraction rely on empirical fitting or introduce non-physical proportionality constants [2], limiting physical interpretability and predictive capability.
In this work, we incorporate a fully physics-based expression for the flowing foam fraction into a local-equilibrium population balance framework. The proposed expression is derived from flooding experiments conducted in unconsolidated sandpacks representative of highly permeable alluvial aquifers relevant to soil remediation applications. Without additional empirical calibration, the formulation successfully reproduces pressure and foam texture trends reported in independent experimental studies performed in unconsolidated, high-permeability porous media. Application of the same expression to experiments conducted in low-permeability consolidated cores reveals systematic deviations, suggesting that the underlying physical assumptions may not be transferable across all porous media types and that the proposed formulation defines a domain of validity to pore-scale structure and permeability.
Overall, this physics-based treatment of the flowing foam fraction reduces the parametrization requirements of population balance modelling while improving physical transparency. The results highlight the importance of media-specific closure relationships and provide a more predictive framework for modelling foam transport in unconsolidated porous media relevant to environmental remediation.