Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026
08:25
Measurements of Local Instantaneous Convective Heat Transfer in a Pipe - Single and Two-phase Flow
Published on: April 30, 2018
Steady-state, simultaneous two-phase flow in porous media: an experimental study
Ken Tore Tallakstad1, Grunde Løvoll, Henning Arendt Knudsen
1Department of Physics, University of Oslo, PB 1048 Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway. k.t.tallakstad@fys.uio.no
Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|November 13, 2009
Summary
Steady-state two-phase flow in porous media exhibits a local steady-state where nonwetting phase clusters follow a scaling law. Bubble dynamics and a characteristic length scale, dependent on capillary number, govern this flow.
Area of Science:
- Fluid dynamics
- Porous media physics
- Multiphase flow
Background:
- Two-phase flow in porous media is crucial for various natural and industrial processes.
- Understanding steady-state dynamics is essential for predicting fluid distribution and transport.
- Previous studies often focused on global steady states, with less attention to transient local behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally investigate steady-state two-phase flow in a quasi-two-dimensional porous medium.
- To analyze the transient and steady-state behaviors of wetting and nonwetting fluid phases.
- To identify and characterize the scaling laws and dynamics governing the steady state.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a Hele-Shaw cell with randomly packed glass beads to simulate a porous medium.
- Injected wetting and nonwetting fluids with a low viscosity ratio (M=10⁻⁴) simultaneously.
- Observed and analyzed transient and steady-state flow patterns in time and space.
Main Results:
- A local steady-state develops behind the initial front, mirroring the global steady state.
- The nonwetting phase fragments into clusters with a size distribution obeying a scaling law.
- Cutoff cluster size is inversely proportional to the capillary number; pressure gradient shows a power-law relationship with capillary number.
Conclusions:
- Steady-state two-phase flow is characterized by bubble dynamics and a system-dependent characteristic length scale.
- Capillary number and pressure gradient are key parameters controlling the steady-state dynamics.
- The observed scaling law provides insights into fluid fragmentation and distribution in porous media.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Steady, Laminar Flow Between Parallel Plates
Understanding steady, laminar flow between parallel plates is essential for analyzing and designing flow in narrow rectangular channels, commonly found in various water conveyance and drainage systems. The Navier-Stokes equations govern fluid motion and are generally challenging to solve due to their nonlinearity. However, simplifications are possible in certain cases, like the steady laminar flow between parallel plates. For this scenario, we assume steady, incompressible, laminar flow.
01:23Steady, Laminar Flow in Circular Tubes
Hagen-Poiseuille flow describes a viscous fluid's steady, incompressible flow through a cylindrical tube with a constant radius R. This flow profile is often applied to understand fluid transport in narrow channels, such as capillaries. It serves as a foundational example of laminar flow. In this model, cylindrical coordinates (r,θ,z) are used to describe the radial (r), angular (θ), and axial (z) dimensions within the tube. For Hagen-Poiseuille flow, the velocity profile is purely axial,...
01:27Steady Flow of a Fluid Stream
Consider a control volume, such as a pipe with solid boundaries, through which fluid flows and changes direction due to the impulse exerted by the resulting force from the pipe walls. In steady flow, the mass of fluid entering the control volume at a given time, t, with velocity v1, is equal to the mass leaving after infinitesimal time dt, with velocity v2.
During this process, the momentum of the fluid within the control volume remains constant over the time interval dt. By applying the...
During this process, the momentum of the fluid within the control volume remains constant over the time interval dt. By applying the...
01:22Couette Flow
Couette flow represents the flow of fluid between two parallel plates, with one plate fixed and the other moving with a constant velocity. This configuration allows for a simplified analysis using the Navier-Stokes equations, which govern fluid motion under conditions of viscosity and incompressibility. For Couette flow, the assumptions include a steady, laminar, incompressible flow with a zero-pressure gradient in the flow direction. This flow type is beneficial for understanding shear-driven...
01:27Uniform Depth Channel Flow
Uniform depth channel flow keeps fluid depth consistent along channels such as irrigation canals. In natural channels, such as rivers, approximate uniform flow is often assumed. This condition occurs when the channel’s bottom slope matches the energy slope, balancing potential energy lost from gravity with head loss due to shear stress. This balance prevents depth changes along the channel length, resulting in a steady, uniform flow.Uniform flow in open channels with a constant cross-section...
01:16Conservation of Mass in Finite Cotrol Volume
The principle of conservation of mass is a fundamental law in fluid mechanics and is applied using the continuity equation. We apply the concept to a finite control volume to derive the continuity equation.
A system is defined as a collection of unchanging contents, and the conservation of mass states that a system's mass is constant.
A system is defined as a collection of unchanging contents, and the conservation of mass states that a system's mass is constant.