The rigs enable quantitative analysis of the impact of pore structure, pore wettability, liquid viscosity and surface tension on the displacement of oil by water and CO2 in pores and network structure, and the displacement of water by CO2. Our approach is significantly different from core sample tests and the experiments of 2D pore network models. Data from core sample tests is difficult to interpret in terms of the heterogeneous chemical and physical properties of rocks; outputs from the study of 2D pore network models is microvisual data, photographs and video footage, which is an observation of flow behaviour. We aim to answer how the heterogeneity of rocks and fluids affect CO2 trapping, CO2 migration, CO2 displacement and oil displacement. For example, the effect of pore size on the displacement of water by CO2 or oil has been measured. Further experiments indicate that the pore resistance to natural gas is higher than to CO2 which has implication for CO2 storage. We also measured the dislodging pressure of microtubules in an individual channel of a pore network. Several articles have been published in Langmuir, Chemical Engineering Science etc.
The experimental system is unique for
• Analysis of the impact of pore structure, pore wettability, liquid viscosity and surface tension on the displacement of oil by water and CO2 in pores, and the displacement of water by CO2
• Applications in Enhanced Oil Recovery, Carbon Storage and Drug Delivery
General: Located in the chemical processes lab at School f Engineering with its available infrastructures and services.
Special: See brief instrumentation description above.