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Controlling capillary fingering using pore size gradients in disordered media

Nancy B. Lu, Christopher A. Browne, Daniel B. Amchin, Janine K. Nunes, and Sujit S. Datta
Phys. Rev. Fluids 4, 084303 – Published 21 August 2019

Abstract

Capillary fingering is a displacement process that can occur when a nonwetting fluid displaces a wetting fluid from a homogeneous disordered porous medium. Here, we investigate how this process is influenced by a pore size gradient. Using microfluidic experiments and computational pore-network models, we show that the nonwetting fluid displacement behavior depends sensitively on the direction and the magnitude of the gradient. The fluid displacement depends on the competition between a pore size gradient and pore-scale disorder; indeed, a sufficiently large gradient can completely suppress capillary fingering. By analyzing capillary forces at the pore scale, we identify a nondimensional parameter that describes the physics underlying these diverse flow behaviors. Our results thus expand the understanding of flow in complex porous media and suggest a new way to control flow behavior via the introduction of pore size gradients.

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  • Received 23 April 2019

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevFluids.4.084303

©2019 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Fluid DynamicsPolymers & Soft MatterNetworksStatistical Physics & Thermodynamics

Authors & Affiliations

Nancy B. Lu1, Christopher A. Browne1, Daniel B. Amchin1, Janine K. Nunes2, and Sujit S. Datta1,*

  • 1Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
  • 2Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA

  • *ssdatta@princeton.edu

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Issue

Vol. 4, Iss. 8 — August 2019

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