Dispersion measurements using time-of-flight remote detection MRI

Area of Science:

• Geophysics
• Fluid Dynamics
• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Background:

• Porous media research often requires understanding fluid flow and dispersion.
• Macroscopic measurements average out local velocity distributions, limiting detailed analysis.
• Remote sensing techniques offer non-invasive methods for studying subsurface processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe remote detection nuclear magnetic resonance and magnetic resonance imaging experiments for studying fluid flow and dispersion in porous media.
• To analyze experimental data using the flow propagator formalism.
• To obtain macroscopic parameters like effective porosity, flow velocity, and dispersion coefficients.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for remote detection.
• Applying the Eulerian point of view (laboratory frame of reference).
• Employing the common flow propagator formalism for data description.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the applicability of NMR and MRI for studying fluid flow and dispersion from a macroscopic, Eulerian perspective.
• Showcased the analysis of experimental data to extract effective porosity and flow velocity.
• Enabled the quantification of fluid dispersion and flow tracing within the porous medium.

Conclusions:

• Remote sensing NMR and MRI are effective tools for characterizing fluid dynamics in porous media.
• The flow propagator formalism provides a suitable framework for analyzing such experimental data.
• These techniques yield valuable macroscopic parameters for understanding fluid transport in porous materials.