Three-Dimensional Imaging and Quantification of Biomass and Biofilms in Porous Media

A new method to resolve biofilms in three dimensions in porous media using high-resolution synchrotron-based x-ray computed microtomography (CMT) has been developed. Imaging biofilms in porous media without disturbing the natural spatial arrangement of the porous media and associated biofilm has been a challenging task, primarily because porous media generally precludes conventional imaging via optical microscopy; x-ray tomography offers a potential alternative. One challenge for using this method is that most conventional x-ray contrast agents are water-soluble and easily diffuse into biofilms. To overcome this problem, silver-coated microspheres were added to the fluid phase to create an x-ray contrast that does not diffuse into the biofilm mass. Using this approach, biofilm imaging in porous media was accomplished with sufficient contrast to differentiate between the biomass- and fluid-filled pore spaces. The method was validated by using a two-dimensional micro-model flow cell where both light microscopy and CMT imaging were used to im age the biofilm. The results of this work has been published in Water Resources Research (Iltis et al., 2010). Additional work needs to be done to optimize this imaging approach, specifically, we find that the quality of the images are highly dependent on the coverage of the biofilm with Ag particles, - which means that we may have issues in dead-end pore space and for very low density (fluffy) biofilms. What we can image for certain with this technique is the biofilm surface that is well-connected to flow paths and thus well-supplied with nutrients etc

Enhancing residual trapping of supercritical CO2 via cyclic injections

We utilize synchrotron X-ray tomographic imaging to investigate the pore-scale characteristics and residual trapping of supercritical CO2 (scCO2) over the course of multiple drainage-imbibition (D-I) cycles in Bentheimer sandstone cores. Capillary pressure measurements are paired with X-ray image-derived saturation and connectivity metrics which describe the extent of drainage and subsequent residual (end of imbibition) scCO2 trapping. For the first D-I cycle, residual scCO2 trapping is suppressed due to high imbibition capillary number (Ca ≈ 10−6); however, residual scCO2 trapping dramatically increases for subsequent D-I cycles carried out at the same Ca value. This behavior is not predicted by conventional multiphase trapping theory. The magnitude of scCO2 trapping increase is hysteretic and depends on the relative extent of the sequential drainage processes. The hysteretic pore-scale behavior of the scCO2-brine-sandstone system observed in this study suggests that cyclic multiphase flow could potentially be used to increase scCO2 trapping for sequestration applications

Incorporating bubble evolution and transport in constitutive relationships for quasi- and non-equilibrium two-phase flows in porous media

There is a need to better understand the presence and transport of bubbles in multi-phase subsurface porous media so that these processes can be accurately described, and more efficient engineered solutions can be developed. To this end, constitutive relationships between geometric state variables (fluid-fluid curvature, Jnw; non-wetting phase volume, Vn; fluid-fluid interfacial area, anw; and Euler characteristic, χn) have become increasingly more common in efforts to uniquely predict the state of a two-fluid flow system. Both lattice Boltzmann simulations and fast X-ray microtomography (μCT) imaging experiments have shown that a geometric state function using the non-dimensionalized invariant properties of saturation, specific interfacial area, and Euler characteristic can uniquely predict the mean curvature of the system for both quasi- and non-equilibrium conditions, however, the presence of bubble evolution and the subsequent transport phenomena have not been explored. This study investigates whether the geometric state function remains unique with the inclusion of bubble generation and transport under quasi- and non-equilibrium two-fluid flow. The data presented here suggests that bubble formation and entrapment occur in a manner that cannot be predicted by the more traditional capillary pressure-saturation-interfacial area, Pc(Sw, anw), relationship, and further extensions to the constitutive relationship are needed to fully capture these mechanisms

Investigating the pore-scale mechanisms of microbial enhanced oil recovery

Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR) is a process where microorganisms are used for tertiary oil recovery. Numerous mechanisms have been proposed in the literature through which microorganisms facilitate the mobilization of residual oil. Herein, we focus on the MEOR mechanisms of interfacial tension reduction (via biosurfactant) and bioclogging in water-wet micromodels, using Shewanella oneidensis (MR-1) that causes bioclogging and Bacillus mojavensis (JF-2) that produces biosurfactant and causes bioclogging. Micromodels were flooded with an assortment of flooding solutions ranging from metabolically active bacteria to nutrient limited bacteria to dead inactive biomass to asses the effectiveness of the proposed MEOR mechanisms of bioclogging and biosurfactant production. Results indicate tertiary flooding of the micromodel system with biomass and biosurfactant was optimal for oil recovery due to the combined effects of bioclogging of the pore-space and interfacial tension reduction. However, biosurfactant was able to recover oil in some cases dependent on wettability. Biomass without biosurfactant that clogged the pore-space also successfully produced additional oil recovery. When analyzing residual oil blob morphology, MEOR resulted in oil blob size and radius of curvature distributions similar to those obtained by an abiotic capillary desaturation test, where flooding rate was increased post secondary recovery. Furthermore, for the capillary number calculated during MEOR flooding with bioclogging and biosurfactant, lower residual oil saturation was measured than for the corresponding capillary number under abiotic conditions. These results suggest that bioclogging and biosurfactant MEOR is a potentially effective approach for pore morphology modification and thus flow alteration in porous media that can have a significant effect on oil recovery beyond that predicted by capillary number.Keywords: bioclogging, micromodel, multiphase flow, microbial enhanced oil recovery, water flooding, biosurfactant, interfacial curvatur

Image processing of multiphase images obtained via X-ray microtomography: A review

Easier access to X-ray microtomography (lCT) facilities has provided much new insight from high-resolution imaging for various problems in porous media research. Pore space analysis with respect to functional properties usually requires segmentation of the intensity data into different classes. Image segmentation is a nontrivial problem that may have a profound impact on all subsequent image analyses. This review deals with two issues that are neglected in most of the recent studies on image segmentation: (i) focus on multiclass segmentation and (ii) detailed descriptions as to why a specific method may fail together with strategies for preventing the failure by applying suitable image enhancement prior to segmentation. In this way, the presented algorithms become very robust and are less prone to operator bias. Three different test images are examined: a synthetic image with ground-truth information, a synchrotron image of precision beads with three different fluids residing in the pore space, and a lCT image of a soil sample containing macropores, rocks, organic matter, and the soil matrix. Image blur is identified as the major cause for poor segmentation results. Other impairments of the raw data like noise, ring artifacts, and intensity variation can be removed with current image enhancement methods. Bayesian Markov random field segmentation, watershed segmentation, and converging active contours are well suited for multiclass segmentation, yet with different success to correct for partial volume effects and conserve small image features simultaneously.Keywords: X-ray tomography, Soil structure, Multiphase flow, Segmentation, structure analysis, Image processin

Linking pore-scale interfacial curvature to column-scale capillary pressure

Synchrotron-based tomographic datasets of oil–water drainage and imbibition cycles have been analyzed to quantify phase saturations and interfacial curvature as well as connected and disconnected fluid configurations. This allows for close observation of the drainage and imbibition processes, assessment of equilibrium states, and studying the effects of fluid phase disconnection and reconnection on the resulting capillary pressures and interfacial curvatures. Based on this analysis estimates of capillary pressure calculated from interfacial curvature can be compared to capillary pressure measured externally with a transducer. Results show good agreement between curvature-based and transducer-based measurements when connected phase interfaces are considered. Curvature measurements show a strong dependence on whether an interface is formed by connected or disconnected fluid and the time allowed for equilibration. The favorable agreement between curvature-based and transducer-based capillary pressure measurements shows promise for the use of image-based estimates of capillary pressure for interfaces that cannot be probed with external transducers as well as opportunities for a detailed assessment of interfacial curvature during drainage and imbibition.Keywords: Imbibition, Capillary pressure, Drainage, Interfacial curvature, Young–Laplace, Computed microtomograph

Using synchrotron-based X-Ray microtomography and functional contrast agents in environmental applications

Despite very rapid development in commercial X-ray tomography technology, synchrotron-based tomography facilities still have a number of advantages over conventional systems. The high photon flux inherent of synchrotron radiation sources allows for (i) high resolution to micro- or nanometer scales depending on the individual beamline, (ii) rapid acquisition times that allow for collection of sufficient data for statistically significant results in a short amount of time as well as prevention of temporal changes that would take place during longer scan times, and (iii) optimal implementation of contrast agents that allow us to resolve features that would not be decipherable in scans obtained with a polychromatic radiation source. This chapter highlights recent advances in capabilities at synchrotron sources, as well as implementation of synchrotron-based computed microtomography (CMT) to two topics of interest to researchers in the soil science, hydrology, and environmental engineering fields, namely multiphase flow in porous media and characterization of biofilm architecture in porous media. In both examples, we make use of contrast agents and photoelectric edge-specic scanning (single- or dual-energy type), in combination with advanced image processing techniques

Characterization of wetting using topological principles

Hypothesis Understanding wetting behavior is of great importance for natural systems and technological applications. The traditional concept of contact angle, a purely geometrical measure related to curvature, is often used for characterizing the wetting state of a system. It can be determined from Young's equation by applying equilibrium thermodynamics. However, whether contact angle is a representative measure of wetting for systems with significant complexity is unclear. Herein, we hypothesize that topological principles based on the Gauss-Bonnet theorem could yield a robust measure to characterize wetting. Theory and Experiments We introduce a macroscopic contact angle based on the deficit curvature of the fluid interfaces that are imposed by contacts with other immiscible phases. We perform sessile droplet simulations followed by multiphase experiments for porous sintered glass and Bentheimer sandstone to assess the sensitivity and robustness of the topological approach and compare the results to other traditional approaches. Findings We show that the presented topological principle is consistent with thermodynamics under the simplest conditions through a variational analysis. Furthermore, we elucidate that at sufficiently high image resolution the proposed topological approach and local contact angle measurements are comparable. While at lower resolutions, the proposed approach provides more accurate results being robust to resolution-based effects. Overall, the presented concepts open new pathways to characterize the wetting state of complex systems and theoretical developments to study multiphase systems.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, 1 tabl

Lime application effects on soil aggregate properties: Use of the mean weight diameter and synchrotron-based X-ray mu CT techniques

The hierarchical organization of aggregates in soil is responsible for the presence of inter and intra-aggregate pores. This research aimed to investigate effects of soil surface liming, considering lime rates of 0, 10 and 15 t ha(-1), on the intra-aggregate porous system of soil aggregates with equivalent diameters of 2-4 and 1-2 mm, from 0 to 10 (A) and 10 to 20 cm (B) soil layers. These aggregates were selected by the wet sieving method carried out for determination of the mean weight diameter. Synchrotron-based computed microtomography (mu CT) of aggregates was analyzed in terms of porosity, connectivity, tortuosity, and fractal dimension. Additionally, X-ray fluorescence was used to evaluate the elemental composition of the soil aggregates. All liming effects were concentrated at layer A, where calcium percentage was elevated in aggregates from 1-2 mm class as compared to those from 2-4 mm class. Accordingly, the physical parameters studied were generally more affected in the case of smaller aggregates (1-2 mm). Liming decreased total porosity, increased tortuosity of pores, and decreased fractal dimension for 1-2 mm aggregates, which was in line with the fact that larger pores were replaced by smaller ones in 1-2 mm aggregates, as found via both quantitative and qualitative analyses. On the other hand, liming did not affect pore connectivity under any of the circumstances