Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T05:26:10.407Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Obstructed and channelized viscoplastic flow in a Hele-Shaw cell

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2016

D. R. Hewitt*
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA, UK Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z2, Canada
M. Daneshi
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada
N. J. Balmforth
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z2, Canada
D. M. Martinez
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada
*
Email address for correspondence: [email protected]

Abstract

A theoretical study is presented of the flow of viscoplastic fluid through a Hele-Shaw cell that contains various kinds of obstructions. Circular and elliptical blockages of the cell are considered together with stepwise contractions or expansions in slot width, all within the simplifying approximation of a narrow gap. Specific attention is paid to the flow patterns that develop around the obstacles, particularly any stagnant plugged regions, and the asymptotic limits of relatively small or large yield stress. Periodic arrays of circular contractions or expansions are studied to explore the interference between obstructions. Finally, viscoplastic flow through a cell with randomly roughened walls is examined, and it is shown that constructive interference of local contractions and expansions leads to a pronounced channelization of the flow. An optimization algorithm based on minimization of the pressure drop is derived to construct the path of the channels in the limit of relatively large yield stress or, equivalently, relatively slow flow.

Type
Papers
Copyright
© 2016 Cambridge University Press 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alishaev, M. G., Entov, V. M. & Segalov, A. E. 1969 Elementary solutions of plane nonlinear filtration problems. Fluid Dyn. 4, 7784.Google Scholar
Atkinson, C. & El-Ali, K. 1992 Some boundary value problems for the Bingham model. J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 41, 339363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Balmforth, N. J. & Craster, R. V. 1999 A consistent thin-layer theory for Bingham plastics. J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 84, 6581.Google Scholar
Balmforth, N. J., Frigaard, I. A. & Ovarlez, G. 2014 Yielding to stress: recent developments in viscoplastic fluid mechanics. Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech. 46, 121146.Google Scholar
Barenblatt, G. I., Entov, V. M. & Ryzhik, V. M. 1989 Theory of Fluid Flows Through Natural Rocks. Kluwer Academic.Google Scholar
Beris, A. N., Tsamopoulos, J. A., Armstrong, R. C. & Brown, R. A. 1985 Creeping motion of a sphere through a Bingham plastic. J. Fluid Mech. 158, 219244.Google Scholar
Bernadiner, M. G. & Protopapas, A. L. 1994 Progress on the theory of flow in geologic media with threshold gradient. J. Environ. Sci. Health A 29, 249275.Google Scholar
Bittleston, S. H., Ferguson, J. & Frigaard, I. A. 2002 Mud removal and cement placement during primary cementing of an oil well – laminar non-Newtonian displacements in an eccentric annular Hele-Shaw cell. J. Engng Maths 43, 229253.Google Scholar
Bleyer, J. & Coussot, P. 2014 Breakage of non-Newtonian character in flow through a porous medium: evidence from numerical simulation. Phys. Rev. E 89 (6), 063018.Google Scholar
Brush, D. J. & Thomson, N. R. 2003 Fluid flow in synthetic rough-walled fractures: Navier–Stokes, Stokes, and local cubic law simulations. Water Resour. Res. 39, 1085.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chevalier, T., Chevalier, C., Clain, X., Dupla, J. C., Canou, J., Rodts, S. & Coussot, P. 2013 Darcy’s law for yield stress fluid flowing through a porous medium. J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 195, 5766.Google Scholar
Chevalier, T., Rodts, S., Chateau, X., Chevalier, C. & Coussot, P. 2014 Breaking of non-Newtonian character in flows through a porous medium. Phys. Rev. E 89, 023002.Google Scholar
Coussot, P. 1999 Saffman–Taylor instability in yield-stress fluids. J. Fluid Mech. 380, 363376.Google Scholar
Dontsov, E. V. & Peirce, A. P. 2014 Slurry flow, gravitational settling and a proppant transport model for hydraulic fractures. J. Fluid Mech. 760, 567590.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Entov, V. M. 1970 Analogy between equations of plane filtration and equations of longitudinal shear of nonlinearly elastic and plastic solids. Z. Angew. Math. Mech. 34, 153164.Google Scholar
Gustafson, G., Claesson, J. & Fransson, A. 2013 Steering parameters for rock grouting. J. Appl. Maths 2013, 269594.Google Scholar
Homsy, G. M., Aref, H., Breuer, K. S., Bush, J. W. M., Clanet, C., Fermigier, M., Hochgreb, S., Koseff, J. R., Munson, B. R., Powell, K. G. et al. 2008 Multimedia Fluid Mechanics DVD-ROM. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Huuse, M., Jackson, C. A., Van Rensbergen, P., Davies, R. J., Flemings, P. B. & Dixon, R. J. 2010 Subsurface sediment remobilization and fluid flow in sedimentary basins: an overview. Basin Res. 22, 342360.Google Scholar
Lecampion, B. & Garagash, D. I. 2014 Confined flow of suspensions modelled by a frictional rheology. J. Fluid Mech. 759, 197235.Google Scholar
Lee, J. S. 1969 Slow viscous flow in a lung alveoli model. J. Biomech. 2, 187198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Majidi, R., Miska, S. Z., Yu, M., Thompson, L. G. & Zhang, J. 2010 Quantitative analysis of mud losses in naturally fractured reservoirs: the effect of rheology. SPE Dril. Compl. 25, 509.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pascal, H. 1981 Nonsteady flow through porous media in the presence of a threshold gradient. Acta Mechanica 39, 207224.Google Scholar
Pelipenko, S. & Frigaard, I. A. 2004 Two-dimensional computational simulation of eccentric annular cementing displacements. IMA J. Appl. Maths 69, 557583.Google Scholar
Phillips, O. M. 2009 Geological Fluids Dynamics. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Roustaei, A. & Frigaard, I. A. 2013 The occurrence of fouling layers in the flow of a yield stress fluid along a wavy-walled channel. J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 198, 109124.Google Scholar
Talon, L. & Bauer, D. 2013 On the determination of a generalized Darcy equation for yield-stress fluid in porous media using a lattice-Boltzmann TRT scheme. Eur. Phys. J. E 36, 139.Google Scholar
Tsay, R.-Y. & Weinbaum, S. 1991 Viscous flow in a channel with periodic cross-bridging fibres: exact solutions and Brinkman approximation. J. Fluid Mech. 226, 125148.Google Scholar
Vradis, G. C. & Protopapas, A. L. 1993 Macroscopic conductivities for flow of Bingham plastics in porous media. J. Hydraul. Engng ASCE 119, 95108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walton, I. C. & Bittleston, S. H. 1991 The axial flow of a Bingham plastic in a narrow eccentric annulus. J. Fluid Mech. 222, 3960.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yeo, W. 2001 Effect of contact obstacles on fluid flow in rock fractures. Geosci. J. 5, 139143.Google Scholar
Zhang, Z., Nemcik, J. & Ma, S. 2013 Micro- and macro-behaviour of fluid flow through rock fractures: an experimental study. Hydrogeol. J. 21, 17171729.Google Scholar
Zimmerman, R. W. & Bodvarsson, G. S. 1996 Hydraulic conductivity of rock fractures. Trans. Porous Med. 23, 130.CrossRefGoogle Scholar