Wettability effects on multiphase displacements in heterogeneous porous
media by microfluidic experiments
Abstract
We have studied wettability effects on multiphase displacements in
heterogeneous porous media by experiments on microfluidic chips. The
developed experimental and analysis methods link pore-scale physics and
macroscopic consequences. By varying fluid properties with a wide range
of wettability, we find a non-monotonic wettability effect on
displacement efficiency on heterogeneous structures, in contrast to a
monotonic one on homogeneous matrix. For the flow on heterogeneous
porous media, there is a critical wettability for the best displacement
efficiency. Pore-scale mechanisms are identified to elucidate these
behaviors: the cooperative pore filling in an intermediate water-wet
condition cause the maximum displacement efficiency; the corner flow
under a strong water-wet condition and Haines events under a strong
oil-wet condition will decrease displacement efficiency. Our findings
shed unique insights on how the interaction between fluid wettability
and structure heterogeneity affects fluid displacement in porous media.