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Comparison of Flow and Transport Experiments on 3D Printed Micromodels with Direct Numerical Simulations
Transport in Porous Media
  • Francesca Watson, Heriot-Watt University
  • Julien Maes, Heriot-Watt University
  • Sebastian Geiger, Heriot-Watt University
  • Eric Mackay, Heriot-Watt University
  • Mike Singleton, Heriot-Watt University
  • Thomas McGravie, Heriot-Watt University
  • Terry Anouilh, Institut Français du Pétrole
  • T. Dawn Jobe, Aramco Research Center
  • Shuo Zhang, Aramco Research Center
  • Susan Agar, Aramco Research Center
  • Sergey Ishutov, Iowa State University
  • Franciszek Hasiuk, Iowa State University
Document Type
Article
Disciplines
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
8-25-2018
DOI
10.1007/s11242-018-1136-9
Abstract

Understanding pore-scale flow and transport processes is important for understanding flow and transport within rocks on a larger scale. Flow experiments on small-scale micromodels can be used to experimentally investigate pore-scale flow. Current manufacturing methods of micromodels are costly and time consuming. 3D printing is an alternative method for the production of micromodels. We have been able to visualise small-scale, single-phase flow and transport processes within a 3D printed micromodel using a custom-built visualisation cell. Results have been compared with the same experiments run on a micromodel with the same geometry made from polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA, also known as Perspex). Numerical simulations of the experiments indicate that differences in experimental results between the 3D printed micromodel and the Perspex micromodel may be due to variability in print geometry and surface properties between the samples. 3D printing technology looks promising as a micromodel manufacturing method; however, further work is needed to improve the accuracy and quality of 3D printed models in terms of geometry and surface roughness.

Comments

This article is published as Watson, Francesca, Julien Maes, Sebastian Geiger, Eric Mackay, Mike Singleton, Thomas McGravie, Terry Anouilh et al. "Comparison of Flow and Transport Experiments on 3D Printed Micromodels with Direct Numerical Simulations." Transport in Porous Media (2018). doi: 10.1007/s11242-018-1136-9.

Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
Copyright Owner
The Authors
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Francesca Watson, Julien Maes, Sebastian Geiger, Eric Mackay, et al.. "Comparison of Flow and Transport Experiments on 3D Printed Micromodels with Direct Numerical Simulations" Transport in Porous Media (2018)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/franciszek_hasiuk/5/