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Updated: Mar 31, 2026
09:39
Characterizing Dissipative Elastic Metamaterials Produced by Additive Manufacturing
Published on: June 28, 2024
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Viscoelastic polymer flows and elastic turbulence in three-dimensional porous structures
Jonathan Mitchell1, Kyle Lyons, Andrew M Howe
1Schlumberger Gould Research, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0EL, UK. AClarke3@slb.com.
Soft Matter
|October 20, 2015
Summary
Viscoelastic polymer solutions enhance oil recovery by creating elastic turbulence. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements show this turbulence mobilizes trapped oil ganglia in reservoir rocks.
Area of Science:
- Enhanced Oil Recovery
- Fluid Dynamics in Porous Media
- Polymer Rheology
Background:
- Viscoelastic polymer solutions can improve oil displacement efficiency in reservoir rocks.
- Elastic turbulence in the flowing phase is a proposed mechanism for enhanced oil recovery.
- This turbulence may cause breakup and mobilization of trapped oil ganglia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide direct evidence of elastic turbulence in a realistic 3D porous medium.
- To validate the proposed flow-fluctuation mechanism for enhanced oil recovery.
- To detect increased motion of disconnected oil ganglia using novel NMR techniques.
Main Methods:
- Application of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) pulsed field gradient (PFG) diffusion measurements in a 3D sandstone core.
- Acquisition of NMR data directly from the opaque porous structure.
- Supportive optical microscopy studies in 2D microfluidic networks.
Main Results:
- Measured increase in the motion of trapped oil ganglia.
- Unequivocal evidence of fluctuations in the continuous flowing phase within the 3D system.
- Consistent apparent rheological behavior observed in both 2D and 3D systems.
Conclusions:
- Direct evidence of elastic turbulence in a realistic reservoir rock was obtained.
- The study validates the flow-fluctuation mechanism for enhanced oil recovery.
- NMR PFG diffusion measurements offer a novel method to study elastic turbulence in complex 3D systems.
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