Steady state two phase flow in a gravitational field

Simultaneous  flow of  two fluid  phases in a porous medium  will after a transient  state often lead to  a steady state  regime where all measurable quantities have a well defined statistical distribution with well defined  averages. Experiments on horizontal quasi 2D systems  have  been performed in the past in our group. The  goal of this  project is  to investigate the influence of  buoyancy effects by changing the gravitational constant in the direction of the  flow. This  will be done by systematically tilting the models. The  goal is to measure the fluid saturation and  the distribution of trapped fluid  clusters, the pressure drop across the model, and the dynamics  linked  to snap-off, coalescence and migration of clusters. The experimental data and observation  will be then used for further development of the PoreLab devised theoretical  model. The project is also of great  technological interest  for fluid flow in oil and  water reservoirs  and  for CO₂ sequestration in porous media.