1887

Abstract

Summary

The laboratory measurements based on micromodel setup (lab-on a-chip technology) is rapidly developing and promising domain in porous media and microfluidics applications. Taking advantage of recent tests of solvent injection we developed a multicomponent model and did a numerical analysis of the micro-scale model design and the oil recovery process parameters.

Hybrid solvent-based thermal technology offers efficient and sustainable oil recovery. The main idea of such a process is a significant and controllable reduction of oil viscosity in particular via solvent-to-original-oil mixing and also additional effect related to local heating.

After studying the dynamics of solvent-to-oil mixing and upscaling of micro-scale model properties, the multicomponent simulations were done to adapt the micromodel design for experimental study and measurements of solvent-based recovery, to identify the key process parameters, and to specify their estimation procedure. Two principal flow configurations were considered with gravity-stabilized vertical and horizontal oil displacement.

Being evidently not capable to capture in detail a pore-scale fluid dynamics, the developed numerical model has demonstrated its usefulness both for model design and experimental results analysis, and offered the framework for quantitative determination of some process parameters. The discussion is provided on each step of corresponding adaptation of the simulation model.

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2018-09-03
2024-04-28
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