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Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Imbibition in Microscale Capillaries: Experimental Insights into a Minimum-Resistance Radius
Heying Ding1, Wen Deng1, Fuquan Song2
1School of Civil Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China.
ACS Omega
|February 16, 2026
Summary
Spontaneous imbibition in porous media is optimized at a minimum resistance radius, enhancing fluid recovery in tight formations. This finding improves understanding of capillary-driven transport and oil recovery strategies.
Area of Science:
- Multiphase flow in porous media
- Capillary-driven transport phenomena
- Enhanced oil recovery techniques
Background:
- Spontaneous imbibition is crucial for fluid recovery in tight formations.
- Capillarity drives multiphase transport in porous media.
- Existing models like Lucas-Washburn have limitations in complex scenarios.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate spontaneous imbibition in quartz microtubes.
- To develop and validate a two-phase flow model.
- To identify factors influencing imbibition efficiency and optimize fluid recovery.
Main Methods:
- Quartz microtube imbibition experiments (100-320 μm) using kerosene and air.
- Development and validation of a two-phase flow model including gravitational and inertial forces.
- Dimensionless analysis using Capillary, Reynolds, and Bond numbers.
Main Results:
- A novel two-phase flow model achieved an 81.9% average error reduction compared to the Lucas-Washburn model.
- Imbibition time showed a nonmonotonic dependence on tube radius, indicating a minimum resistance radius for maximum efficiency.
- Tube radius was found to be the dominant factor in imbibition dynamics, while interfacial tension affected early-stage velocity.
Conclusions:
- The minimum resistance radius is a critical length scale for efficient capillary-driven transport.
- Tuning pore size distributions to this scale can enhance fluid uptake and oil recovery in tight reservoirs.
- This research provides a new physical basis for understanding and improving fluid recovery processes.
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