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Reservoir Condition Pore-scale Imaging of Multiple Fluid Phases Using X-ray Microtomography
Published on: February 25, 2015
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Three-dimensional liquid foam flow through a hopper resolved by fast X-ray microtomography
Florian Schott1, Benjamin Dollet2, Stéphane Santucci3
1Division of Solid Mechanics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. florian.schott@solid.lth.se.
Soft Matter
|February 2, 2023
Summary
Liquid foam flow through constrictions shows complex behavior. Elastic stresses emerge in divergent flow, especially with less liquid, due to bubble shape changes.
Area of Science:
- Fluid dynamics
- Materials science
- Soft matter physics
Background:
- Liquid foams exhibit complex rheological properties.
- Understanding foam flow in confined geometries is crucial for industrial applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the rheological behavior of liquid foams in a conical constriction.
- To quantify bubble dynamics and stress development during flow.
Main Methods:
- Fast X-ray tomographic microscopy was used to observe bubble displacement and deformation.
- Systematic variation of foam liquid fraction, bubble size, and flow direction (convergent vs. divergent).
Main Results:
- Deviations from purely viscous flow were observed.
- An asymmetry in flow behavior between convergent and divergent paths was identified.
- Elastic stresses emerged in divergent flow, increasing as liquid fraction decreased.
Conclusions:
- Bubble reorientation from prolate to oblate shapes in the constriction contributes to elastic stress.
- Foam rheology is significantly influenced by confinement and flow direction.
