Numerical Prediction of the Impact of Porosity on the Flow Behavior of Two Immiscible Fluids Within a Porous Medium

The extraction and refinement of oil and gas are important in meeting global energy demands, particularly when compared to alternative energy production methods. In order to address the worldwide energy demand, it is imperative to augment both oil reserves and production capability. This objective can be achieved through the development of established reservoirs or the identification of previously undiscovered reservoirs. Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) approaches pertain to the utilization of advanced technologies that have been created to augment the extraction of hydrocarbons after primary and secondary recovery methods. Water injection has been recognized as a significant prospective remedy for addressing numerous issues encountered throughout the different stages of hydrocarbon extraction. The objective of the present investigation is to examine the impact of porosity and permeability on the fluid flow behavior of two immiscible Newtonian fluids within a porous media. In this study, the researchers also considered the impact of changes in the Reynolds number. To simulate the movement of immiscible fluids within the soil, we adopt a two-dimensional cylindrical pipe as a representation of the problem's geometry. This pipe is filled with similar particles, which serve to characterize a homogenous porous material. The pipe is initially filled with oil to its maximum capacity. A water flow is introduced at the input to facilitate the displacement of oil towards the producing well. To elucidate the arrangement of immiscible flow within porous and non-porous media, the laminar flow is simulated by employing the Volume of Fluid (VOF) model. Subsequently, the obtained physical outcomes are examined across a broad spectrum of Reynolds numbers. The finite volume approach with ANSYS/Fluent® software was employed to conduct the simulation in an unstable condition. The mathematical and physical models employed in this study have undergone validation by comparison with an experimental database that is accessible in the existing literature.