Investigation of foam flow in porous media via physics-based modelling and numerical simulations
File(s)
Author(s)
Zhang, Haosen
Type
Thesis
Abstract
Predicting foam dynamics in porous media poses significant challenges, primarily due to the multitude of gas-liquid interfaces within foam and their intricate interactions with confined structures. This study advances our understanding of foam physics by introducing novel foam modelling approaches and examining foam flow in representative scenarios. Three foam modelling methods are integrated and thoroughly investigated: the quasi-static soap film model, the viscous froth model, and the boundary integral method. The first method is conventionally employed to directly predict foam configurations in stationary equilibrium or in quasi-static motion, and in this thesis, it is extended to the pore-network scale. The research reveals that pressure differences between pore throats play a similar role in minimising overall surface energy as film tension does at the pore scale. The second approach pertains to the viscous froth model, originally designed for monolayer foams constrained in Hele-Shaw cells, and conventionally considered in two dimensions (2D). In this thesis, the 2D viscous froth model undergoes an extension into three dimensions (3D). This extension highlights the impact of the third dimension on foam behaviour, effectively connecting the quasi-static soap film model with the dynamic viscous froth model. Its application to a viscous froth lens in 3D reveals that the driving velocity-to-gap size ratio is a dominant factor in determining the motion of a viscous froth lens. Finally, a new method for modelling dry foam dynamics is developed based on the boundary integral method which considers the viscosity of gas, not just that of liquid, making it applicable to a broader range of foam flow rates. This method is utilised to investigate the typical problem of film motion in a diverging-converging channel, offering a new perspective on the emergence of yield stress. It is also implemented in 2D, connecting to the modelling of foam in Hele-Shaw cells.
Version
Open Access
Date Issued
2023-12
Date Awarded
2024-05
Copyright Statement
Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial Licence
License URL
Advisor
Brito Parada, Pablo Rafael
Neethling, Stephen
Wang, Yanghua
Publisher Department
Earth Science and Engineering
Publisher Institution
Imperial College London
Qualification Level
Doctoral
Qualification Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)