Abstract
The two-dimensional problem of supercritical carbon dioxide injection into an aquifer is solved. Shocks and rarefaction waves propagating in a sequence from an injection well into the formation are described within the framework of a complete nonisothermal model of flows in a porous medium. In the approximation of isothermal immiscible water and carbon dioxide flow the hydrodynamic stability of the leading displacement front is investigated for various reservoir pressures and temperatures. The parameters of unstable fronts are determined using a sufficient instability condition formulated in analytic form. The approximate analytic results are supported by the direct numerical simulation of CO2 injection using the complete model in which thermal effects and phase transitions are taken into account.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
M. J. Bickle, “Geological Carbon Storage,” Nature Geosci. 2, 815–818 (2009).
K. Michael, A. Golab, V. Shulakova et al., “Geological Storage of CO2 in Saline Aquifers. A Review of the Experience from Existing Storage Operations,” Int. J. Greenhouse Gas Contr. 4, No. 4, 659–667 (2010).
A. A. Afanasyev, “Multiphase Compositional Modelling of CO2 Injection under Subcritical Conditions: The impact of Dissolution and Phase Transitions between Liquid and Gaseous CO2 on Reservoir Temperature,” Int. J. Greenhouse Gas Contr. 19, 731–742 (2013).
A. A. Afanasyev, “Investigation of the Evolutionarity of Discontinuities in BinaryMixture Flows through a Porous Medium,” Fluid Dynamics 49, No. 1, 77–87 (2014).
A. A. Afanasyev, “On the Riemann Problem for Supercritical CO2 Injection into an Aquifer,” Int. J. Greenhouse Gas Contr. 42, 629–643 (2015).
P. G. Saffman and G. I. Taylor, “The Penetration of a Fluid into a Porous Medium or Hele-Shaw Cell Containing a More Viscous Fluid,” Proc. Royal Soc. London Ser. A. 245, 296–305 (1958).
G. M. Homsy, “Viscous Fingering in Porous Media,” Ann. Rev. Fluid Mech. 19, No. 1, 291–308 (1987).
Y. C. Yortsos and A. B. Huang, “Linear Stability Analysis of Immiscible Displacement: Pt. 1. Simple Basic Flow Profiles,” SPE Res. Eng. 1, No. 4, 378–390 (1986).
A. Riaz and H. A. Tchelepi, “Linear Stability Analysis of Immiscible Two-Phase Flow in Porous Media with Capillary Dispersion and Density Variation,” Phys. Fluid 16, No. 12, 4727–4737 (2004).
S. Berg and H. Ott, “Stability of CO2-Brine Immiscible Displacement,” Int. J. Greenhouse Gas Control 11, 188–203 (2012).
J. E. Garcia and K. Pruess, “Flow Instabilities during Injection of CO2 into Saline Aquifers,” in Proc. TOUGH2 Symp., 2003 (Lawrence Berkley National Lab., 2003).
A. A. Afanasev, A.A. Barmin, and O.E. Melnik, “Hydrodynamic Stability of Evaporation Fronts in Porous Media,” Fluid Dynamics 42, No. 5, 773–783 (2007).
G. I. Barenblatt, V. M. Entov, and V.M. Ryzhik, Motion of Liquids and Gases in Natural Formations (Nedra, Moscow, 1984) [in Russian].
A. N. Brooks and A. T. Corey, Hydraulic Properties of PorousMedia. Hydrology Papers 3 (Colorado: State Univ., 1964).
A. G. Kulikovskii and E. I. Sveshnikova, Nonlinear Waves in Elastic Media (CRC Press, Boca Raton, New York, London, Tokyo, 1995; Mosk. Litsei, Moscow, 1998).
S. E. Buckley and M. C. Leverett, “Mechanism of Fluid Displacement in Sands,” Trans. AIME 146, 107–116 (1942).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Original Russian Text © A.A. Afanasyev, T.V. Sultanova, 2016, published in Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, 2016, Vol. 51, No. 4, pp. 85–96.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Afanasyev, A.A., Sultanova, T.V. Investigation of hydrodynamic instability of CO2 injection into an aquifer. Fluid Dyn 51, 513–523 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0015462816040116
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0015462816040116