Experimental Study On Multiphase Fluid Flow In Porous Media By Magnetic Resonance Imaging

CO2 has drawn a worldwide attention due to greenhouse effect. CO2-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is useful to CO2sequestration, also economic benefit. Research on CO2-EOR basic properties is important to mechanisms of transport. The structure of the porous media, pipe flow and flow in porous media by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technique has been studied in the paper.Firstly, the structure of the porous media by the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique is studied. The result shows the bimodal threshold method and explored bimodal threshold method can be used to determine the porosity of the porous media. The latter method gives radial porosity distribution of porous media.Here we build the experiment setup for measuring flow in pipe and porous media. Three parts were constructed in the equipment to measurement of fluid flow. It is to measure local velocity distribution and mean velocity in pipe and porous media. It provides an effective method for the studies on fluid flow in porous media.The measurement of flow in pipe shows that the velocity distribution with different flow rates. As the flow develops enough, the velocity is annular as expected. Velocity in the center of the pipe is higher than that in the wall. From the radial velocity distribution, the maximum velocity in the center is twice the mean velocity. Near the wall, the velocity is nearly zero or negative. It is caused by the material of pipe. The mean velocity calculated by MRI method agrees with well the actual velocity. The larger the flow rate is, the larger velocity error is. The measurement of flow in pipe give information of velocity, also it verifies the sequences we use in the experiment.The measurement of single phase flow in porous media shows that the velocity distribution with different flow rates. The results show the heterogeneous distribution. The heterogeneous flow distribution also means that the pore distribution is heterogeneous. The high velocities show big pore space with big porosity. This is consistent with pore structure images. Also we find flow paths phenomena in porous media. From the radial velocity distribution, reversed flow is observed. It is caused by the glass beads. The velocity in the pore also is parabola distribution.The measurement of two phase fluid flow in porous media shows that the velocity distribution and the displacement process. Under sequestration condition, we measured CO2-water and CO2-decane two phase flow. From the intensity images we obtain axial fluid distribution and velocity distribution graph. Then we discuss the residual water saturation with different temperature, pressure and the diameter of glass beads. The paper verifies the feasibility and effectiveness of MRI method to measure flow in porous media. It gives significant data for measuring fluids transport in sands.