Abstract
We report preliminary results from simulations of single-phase and two-phase flow through three-dimensional tomographic reconstructions of Fontainebleau sandstone. The simulations are performed with the lattice-Boltzmann method, a variant of lattice-gas cellular-automation models of fluid mechanics. Simulations of single-phase flow on a sample of linear size 0.2 cm yield a calculated permeability in the range 1.0–1.5 darcys, depending on direction, which compares qualitatively well with a laboratory measurement of 1.3 darcys on a sample approximately an order of magnitude larger. The sensitivity of permeability calculations to sample size, grid resolution, and choice of model parameters is quantified empirically. We also present a qualitative study of immiscible two-phase flow in a sample of linear size 0.05 cm; simulations of both drainage and imbibition are presented.
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Ferréol, B., Rothman, D.H. Lattice-Boltzmann simulations of flow through Fontainebleau sandstone. Transp Porous Med 20, 3–20 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00616923
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00616923