Non-Darcian flow of shear-thinning fluids through packed beads: Experiments and predictions using Forchheimer’s law and Ergun’s equation

The flow of shear-thinning fluids through unconsolidated porous media is present in a number of impor- tant industrial applications such as soil depollution, Enhanced Oil Recovery or filtration of polymeric liq- uids. Therefore, predicting the pressure drop–flow rate relationship in model porous media has been the scope of major research efforts during the last decades. Although the flow of Newtonian fluids through packs of spherical particles is well understood in most cases, much less is known regarding the flow of shear-thinning fluids as high molecular weight polymer aqueous solutions. In particular, the experimen- tal data for the non-Darcian flow of shear-thinning fluids are scarce and so are the current approaches for their prediction. Given the relevance of non-Darcian shear-thinning flow, the scope of this work is to perform an experimental study to systematically evaluate the effects of fluid shear rheology on the flow rate–pressure drop relationships for the non-Darcian flow through different packs of glass spheres. To do so, xanthan gum aqueous solutions with different polymer concentrations are injected through four packs of glass spheres with uniform size under Darcian and inertial flow regimes. A total of 1560 experimen- tal data are then compared with predictions coming from different methods based on the extension of widely used Ergun’s equation and Forchheimer’s law to the case of shear thinning fluids, determining the accuracy of these predictions. The use of a proper definition for Reynolds number and a realistic model to represent the rheology of the injected fluids results in the porous media are shown to be key aspects to successfully predict pressure drop–flow rate relationships for the inertial shear-thinning flow in packed beads

Surface gas geochemistry above the natural CO2 reservoir of Montmiral (Drôme, France), source tracking and gas exchange between the soil, biosphere and atmosphere

International audienceOne of the options considered to mitigate greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere is underground storage of CO2. There is a strong need for enhancing and developing methods that would help throughout the duration life of such underground storage, to ensure the safety and able to monitor the evolution of the injected CO2 plume. Among these, geochemical methods can play an important role. Here, we describe results acquired under the research programme “Géocarbone-Monitoring”, partially funded by the French National Research Agency, on the Montmiral natural analogue in South-Eastern France. Other results obtained under the same research programme in the French Massif Central are reported elsewhere in this volume.Spot sampling methods allowing a great geographical coverage and continuous measurements on selected points were undertaken in 2006 and 2007, in order to determine soil gas concentrations and fluxes as well as carbon isotope ratio determinations. One important result is that without any evidence of deep CO2 leakage, both CO2 concentrations and fluxes appear to be higher than can be explained only by biological activities. Further investigations are thus needed to understand the gas evolution better throughout the year

Non-Darcian flow experiments of shear-thinning fluids through rough-walled rock fractures

Understanding non-Darcian flow of shear-thinning fluids through rough-walled rock fractures is of vital importance in a number of industrial applications such as hydrogeology or petroleum engineering. Different laws are available to express the deviations from linear Darcy law due to inertial pressure losses. In particular, Darcy’s law is often extended through addition of quadratic and cubic terms weighted by two inertial coefficients depending on the strength of the inertia regime. The relations between the effective shear viscosity of the fluid and the apparent viscosity in porous media when inertial deviations are negligible were extensively studied in the past. However, only recent numerical works have investigated the superposition of both inertial and shear-thinning effects, finding that the same inertial coefficients obtained for non-Darcian Newtonian flow applied in the case of shear-thinning fluids. The objective of this work is to experimentally validate these results, extending their applicability to the case of rough-walled rock fractures. To do so, flow experiments with aqueous polymer solutions have been conducted using replicas of natural fractures, and the effects of polymer concentration, which determine the shear rheology of the injected fluid, have been evaluated. Our findings show that the experimental pressure loss-flow rate data for inertial flow of shear-thinning fluids can be successfully predicted from the empirical parameters obtained during non-Darcian Newtonian flow and Darcian shear-thinning flow in a given porous medium

Etude expérimentale et modélisation des écoulements diphasiques et de la dispersion dans des fractures rugueuses réelles

Les écoulements diphasiques en fracture se produisent dans de nombreuses applications industrielles et environnementales. Pour modéliser ces écoulements, il est important de connaître le rôle des caractéristiques géométriques des surfaces constituant les fractures.L objectif de ce travail de thèse est d étudier expérimentalement les écoulements diphasiques et la dispersion de traceurs dans des fractures réelles dont on connaît la cartographie des surfaces et d en proposer une modélisation adéquate.L écoulement diphasique inertiel a été modélisé à l aide de la généralisation de la loi de Darcy couplée à l approche de la fonction F. Le modèle proposé permet de prédire les perméabilités relatives et les saturations en fonction des débits des deux fluides avec deux paramètres d ajustement.Les profils de concentration obtenus lors des expériences de dispersion ont été interprétés avec différents modèles afin d'évaluer leur capacité à décrire la dispersion dans les fractures et donc l hétérogénéité de celles-ci. Les résultats montrent que le modèle stratifié, avec un seul paramètre estimé, donne des résultats satisfaisants et permet de quantifier l'hétérogénéité.Enfin, avec cinq paramètres estimés, à partir de la courbe de la concentration de traceur à la sortie des fractures, le modèle CTRW permet de décrire avec une bonne précision les profils de concentration de toutes les abscissesThe two-phase flows through fractures occur in many industrial and environmental processes.Modelling these flows needs understanding the role of geometric characteristics of the fractures surfaces. The objective of this thesis is to study experimentally the two-phase flow and the dispersion of tracers in fractures which the aperture map is known and propose a suitable model.The inertial two-phase flow model is based on the generalization of the single-phase full cubiclaw that accounts for non-Darcian effects by using the F function approach. On this approach,the presence of a second fluid is taken into account through a multiplier function introduced into the superficial velocity of each fluid. This model let us predict the relative permeability and the saturation as a function of the two fluid flows with two adjustment parameters.The concentration profiles obtained during dispersion experiments were interpreted with different models to study their ability to describe the dispersion in fractures and hence the heterogeneity of them. The results show that the classical convection-dispersion is not appropriate due to the heterogeneity of the fractures. On the other hand, the stratified model,with only one estimated parameter, gives satisfactory results and allows quantifying heterogeneity. Finally, with five estimated parameters, from the concentration curve at the outlet of the fractures, the CTRW model can describe the concentration profiles of all abscissas with good accuracyNANCY-INPL-Bib. électronique (545479901) / SudocSudocFranceF

Monitoring géochimique de la géosphère et l'atmosphère (application au stockage géologique du CO2)

Cette thèse touche à la problématique des échanges de gaz aux interfaces entre la géosphère, la biosphère, l'hydrosphère et l'atmosphère par l'intermédiaire du monitoring géochimique des gaz appliqué aux sites de stockage géologiques du CO2. Au niveau de l'axe Métrologie , nous avons développé une plate-forme de monitoring géochimique continu, in situ et déportée par spectrométrie FTIR/Raman pour la mesure des gaz du sol (CO2, CH4, N2, O2, H2O). Des protocoles de quantification ont été développés pour la mesure par télédétection infrarouge terrestre en mode passif du CO2, CH4, SO2, H2S dans l'atmosphère. Au niveau des axes Monitoring et Modélisation , les mesures de gaz du sol à proximité du puits d'injection de Rousse (Pilote CO2 Total, Lacq/Rousse, France) sur plus de sept cycles saisonniers ont montré une anti-corrélation entre la teneur en CO2 et les variations du niveau piézométrique de la nappe. Cette relation a permis de modéliser l'enveloppe de variabilité naturelle de la teneur en CO2 dans le sol, qui constitue un élément clé pour la surveillance des sites de stockage. Les variations majeures de teneur en CO2 sont attribuées à des processus de dissolution/libération de CO2 par la nappe, jouant un rôle de pompe à CO2. La concentration en CO2 en surface (+1m) serait gouvernée par les variations de teneur en CO2 du sol. Les mesures par télédétection FTIR des gaz dans l'atmosphère ont permis d'établir pour la première fois une simulation expérimentale 3D des enveloppes de CO2 à l'aplomb du site d'injection. Ces résultats constituent un premier pas vers la mise en place d'un outil de surveillance des panaches gazeux dans l'atmosphèreThis study is based on the problematic of gas exchanges at the interface between the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere through the geochemical monitoring of gas applied to CO2 geological storage sites. Concerning the "Metrological" aspect, we developed and implemented an in situ continuous geochemical monitoring station, based on coupling FTIR/ Raman spectrometry for measuring soil gas (O2, N2, CO2, CH4 and H2O) close to the injection wells of Rousse 1 (CCS Total pilot, Lacq-Rousse, France). We also developed protocols to identify and quantify CO2, CH4, SO2, H2S in the atmosphere (plume) by passive remote sensing FTIR. On the "Monitoring" and "Modelling" aspects, the continuous recording of soil CO2 concentration during more than 7 seasonal cycles indicate that CO2 concentration in the soil was anti-correlated with changes in piezometric level of the groundwater. This correlation was used to model the limits of natural variability of CO2 content in the soil, which is a key to CCS sites monitoring. The main fluctuations in soil CO2 content was assigned to a dissolution/release process of CO2 by the perched water table, acting as a CO2 pump. The CO2 concentration at the near surface (+ 1 m) would be governed by changes of the soil CO2 content. FITR remote sensing measurement of atmospheric gases allowed for the first time to perform an experimental 3D simulation of CO2 layers on the injection site. This type of experimental simulation is a first step for the monitoring of gases in the atmosphereMETZ-SCD (574632105) / SudocNANCY1-Bib. numérique (543959902) / SudocNANCY2-Bibliotheque electronique (543959901) / SudocNANCY-INPL-Bib. électronique (545479901) / SudocSudocFranceF

Study of the environmental variability of gaseous emanations over a CO2 injection pilot—Application to the French Pyrenean foreland

International audiencePrior to the CO2 injection in the Rousse pilot operated by TOTAL Exploration Production France, baseline monitoring has been performed in near surface environments in order to characterize soil gas concentrations and soil gas fluxes behavior along with time. The baseline measurements were conducted in 2008 and 2009 on a quarterly basis. All investigations were performed under weather conditions representative of temperate climate yearly cycles. CO2 fluxes and CO2 soil concentrations followed an annual cycle with enhanced emissions during high season (summer) and lower emissions during low season (winter) corresponding with the annual cycle of biological activity in soil. The CO2 is predominantly of organic origin with atmospheric dilution during low season times with an absence of an upward gas flux as suggested by nearly constant helium concentrations in soils and depleted carbon-13 isotope ratios. Even considering quite long baseline monitoring, it is not possible to find a significant correlation between the flux measured at the soil/atmosphere interface and the concentration measurements at 1 m depth.From the knowledge gained at the site, a monitoring strategy is proposed in order to match both scientific and operator requirements

PREDICTING COMPLEX FLOW IN FRACTURES

Many natural phenomena in geophysics and hydrogeology involve the flow of non-Newtonian fluids through natural rough-walled fractures. Therefore, there is considerable interest in predicting the pressure drop generated by complex flow in these media under a given set of boundary conditions. However, this task is markedly more challenging than the Newtonian case given the coupling of geometrical and rheological parameters in the flow law. The main contribution of this paper is to propose a simple method to predict the flow of commonly used Carreau and yield stress fluids through fractures. To do so, an expression relating the “in-situ” shear viscosity of the fluid to the bulk shear-viscosity parameters is obtained. Then, this “in-situ” viscosity is entered in the macroscopic laws to predict the flow rate-pressure gradient relations. Experiments with yield stress and Carreau fluids in two replicas of natural fractures covering a wide range of injection flow rates are presented and compared to the predictions of the proposed method. Our results show that the use of a constant shift parameter to relate “in-situ” and bulk shear viscosity is no longer valid in the presence of a yield stress or a plateau viscosity. Consequently, properly representing the dependence of the shift parameter on the flow rate is crucial to obtain accurate predictions. The proposed method predicts the pressure drop in a rough-walled fracture at a given injection flow rate by only using the shear rheology of the fluid, the hydraulic aperture of the fracture and the inertial coefficients as inputs