Non-Darcy Flow in Molding Sands

Darcy’s law is widely used to describe the flow in porous media in which there is a linear relationship between fluid velocity and pressure gradient. However, it has been found that for high numbers of Reynolds this law ceases to be valid. In this work, the Ergun equation is employed to consider the non-linearity of air velocity with the pressure gradient in casting sands. The contribution of non-linearity to the total flow in terms of a variable defined as a non-Darcy flow fraction is numerically quantified. In addition, the influence of the shape factor of the sand grains on the non-linear flow fraction is analyzed. It is found that for values of the Reynolds number less or equal than 1, the contribution of non-linearity for spherical particles is around 1.15%.

Characteristics of non-Darcy flow in low-permeability reservoirs

Well testing is recognized as an effective means of accurately obtaining the formation parameters of low-permeability reservoirs and effectively analyzing the deliverability.Well test models must comply with the particular characteristics of flow in low-permeability reservoirs in order to obtain reasonable well test interpretation.At present,non-Darcy flow in low-permeability reservoirs is attracting much attention.In this study,displacement tests were conducted on typical cores taken from low-permeability reservoirs.Two dimensionless variables were introduced to analyze the collected experimental data.The results of the dimensionless analysis show whether non-Darcy flow happens or not depends on the properties of fluid and porous media and the pressure differential.The combination of the above three parameters was named as dimensionless criteria coefficient（DCC）.When the value of the DCC was lower than a critical Reynolds number（CRN）,the flow could not be well described by Darcy＇s law（so-called non-Darcy flow）,when the DCC was higher than CRN,the flow obeyed Darcy＇s law.Finally,this paper establishes a transient mathematical model considering Darcy flow and non-Darcy flow in low-permeability reservoirs,and proposes a methodology to solve the model.The solution technique,which is based on the Boltzmann transformation,is well suited for solving the flow model of low-permeability reservoirs.Based on the typical curves analysis,it was found that the pressure and its derivative curves were determined by such parameters as non-Darcy flow index and the flow characteristics.The results can be used for well test analysis of low-permeability reservoirs.

Non-Darcy flow in oil accumulation (oil displacing water) and relative permeability and oil saturation characteristics of low-permeability sandstones

Hydrocarbon resources in low-permeability sandstones are very abundant and are extensively distributed. Low-permeability reservoirs show several unique characteristics, including lack of a definite trap boundary or caprock, limited buoyancy effect, complex oil-gas-water distribution, without obvious oil-gas-water interfaces, and relatively low oil （gas） saturation. Based on the simulation experiments of oil accumulation in low-permeability sandstone （oil displacing water）, we study the migration and accumulation characteristics of non-Darcy oil flow, and discuss the values and influencing factors of relative permeability which is a key parameter characterizing oil migration and accumulation in low-permeability sandstone. The results indicate that： 1） Oil migration （oil displacing water） in low- permeability sandstone shows non-Darcy percolation characteristics, and there is a threshold pressure gradient during oil migration and accumulation, which has a good negative correlation with permeability and apparent fluidity; 2） With decrease of permeability and apparent fluidity and increase of fluid viscosity, the percolation curve is closer to the pressure gradient axis and the threshold pressure gradient increases. When the apparent fluidity is more than 1.0, the percolation curve shows modified Darcy flow characteristics, while when the apparent fluidity up＂ non-Darcy percolation curve; 3） Oil-water is less than 1.0, the percolation curve is a ＂concave- two-phase relative permeability is affected by core permeability, fluid viscosity, apparent fluidity, and injection drive force; 4） The oil saturation of low- permeability sandstone reservoirs is mostly within 35%-60%, and the oil saturation also has a good positive correlation with the permeability and apparent fluidity.

A fractal approach to low velocity non-Darcy flow in a low permeability porous medium

In this paper, the mechanism for fluid flow at low velocity in a porous medium is analyzed based on plastic flow of oil in a reservoir and the fractal approach. The analytical expressions for flow rate and velocity of non-Newtonian fluid flow in the low permeability porous medium are derived, and the threshold pressure gradient （TPG） is also obtained. It is notable that the TPG （J） and permeability （K） of the porous medium analytically exhibit the scaling behavior J ~ K-D＇r/（l＋Or）, where DT is the fractal dimension for tortuous capillaries. The fractal characteristics of tortuosity for capillaries should be considered in analysis of non-Darcy flow in a low permeability porous medium. The model predictions of TPG show good agreement with those obtained by the available expression and experimental data. The proposed model may be conducible to a better understanding of the mechanism for nonlinear flow in the low permeability porous medium.

Approximate Analytical Solutions for the Nonlinear Brinkman-Forchheimer-Extended Darcy Flow Model

New approximate analytical solutions for steady flow in parallel-plates channels filled with porous materials governed by non-linear Brinkman-Forchheimer extended Darcy model for three different physical situations are presented. These results are compared with those obtained from an implicit finite-difference solution of the corresponding time dependent flow problem. It is seen that the time dependent flow solutions yield the almost same steady state values as obtained by using the new approximate analytical

Experimental Study of Seepage Properties of Non-Darcy Flow in Granular Coal Gangues

By using the steady-state seepage method, a patent seepage device together with the MTS815.02 Rock Me- chanics Test System is used to test the seepage properties of non-Darcy flow in a granular gangue with five different grain sizes during the compaction. The experimental results show that the seepage properties are not only related to the stress or displacement level, but also to the grain size, the pore structure of the granular gangue, and the current porosity. The permeability and the non-Darcy flow coefficient can be fitted respectively by the cubic polynomials and the power functions of the porosity. Formally, the flow in granular gangue satisfies the Forchheimer’s binomial flow, but under the great axial and confining pressure and owing to the grain’s crushing, the flow in granular gangues is different from that in rock-fills which are naturally piled up. As a result, the non-Darcy flow coefficient may be negative.

Non-Darcy flow seepage characteristics of saturated broken rocks under compression with lateral constraint

sing an MTS816.03 test system and self-designed seepage apparatus,seepage tests of saturated broken rocks were conducted,and the influence of lithology,axial stress,grain size distribution and loading rate on seepage characteristics was analyzed.The results show that:(1) Under the same axial stress(12 MPa)the permeability of different lithologic samples increases in the order:gangue < mudstone < sand stone < limestone.The permeability of gangue is 3 magnitudes lower than that of limestone.The absolute value of the non-Darcy coefficient β increases in the order:limestone < sandstone < mudstone < gangue The non-Darcy coefficient β of limestone,which is positive,is 5 magnitudes lower than that of gangue.(2)With increasing axial stress,the permeability of saturated broken sandstone decreases,and the absolute value of the non-Darcy coefficient β increases.After the axial stress exceeds 12 MPa,the curves of perme ability and non-Darcy coefficient β all tend to be stable.(3) With increasing Talbol power exponent,the permeability increases,and the absolute value of the non-Darcy coefficient β decreases.(4) With increas ing loading,the permeability increases,and the absolute value of the non-Darcy coefficient β decreases When the loading rate is 0.5 kN/s,the non-Darcy coefficient β is positive.

One-dimensional non-Darcy flow in a semi-infinite porous media:a multiphase implicit Stefan problem with phases divided by hydraulic gradients

One-dimensional non-Darcy flow in a semi-infinite porous media is investigated. We indicate that the non-Darcy relation which is usually determined from experimental results can always be described by a piecewise linear function, and the problem can be equivalently transformed to a multiphase implicit Stefan problem. The novel feature of this Stefan problem is that the phases of the porous media are divided by hydraulic gradients, not the excess pore water pressures. Using the similarity transformation technique, an exact solution for the situation that the external load increases in proportion to the square root of time is developed. The study on the existence and uniqueness of the solution leads to the requirement of a group of inequalities. A similar Stefan problem considering constant surface seepage velocity is also investigated, and the solution, which we indicate to be uniquely existent under all conditions, is established. Meanwhile, the relation between our Stefan problem and the traditional multiphase Stefan problem is demonstrated. In the end, computational examples of the solution are presented and discussed. The solution provides a useful benchmark for verifying the accuracy of general approximate algorithms of Stefan problems, and it is also attractive in the context of inverse problem analysis.

Efect of double dispersion on non-Darcy mixed convective flow over vertical surface embedded in porous medium

A numerical study of a non-Darcy mixed convective heat and mass transfer flow over a vertical surface embedded in a dispersion, melting, and thermal radiation is porous medium under the effects of double investigated. The set of governing boundary layer equations and the boundary conditions is transformed into a set of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations with the relevant boundary conditions. The transformed equations are solved numerically by using the Chebyshev pseudospectral method. Comparisons of the present results with the existing results in the literature are made, and good agreement is found. Numerical results for the velocity, temperature, concentration profiles, and local Nusselt and Sherwood numbers are discussed for various values of physical parameters.

One-dimensional large-strain consolidation of soft clay with non-Darcian flow and nonlinear compression and permeability of soil

Geometrical nonlinearity of the soft soil and the deviation of water flow in the soft clay from Darcy's law have been well recognized in practice. However, the theory of consolidation, which can account for both the geometrical nonlinearity and the non-Darcian flow, has not been reported so far. In this contribution, a model for the consolidation of soft clay which can allow for these two factors simultaneously is proposed. Utilizing the finite difference method, the numerical model for this problem is developed. With the numerical model, the effects of the geometrical nonlinearity and the non-Darcian flow on the consolidation of the soft soil are investigated. The results show that when the self-weight stress is calculated by the same method, the rate of the non-Darcian consolidation for the large-strain case is larger than that for the small-strain case, but the difference between them is limited. However, the difference between the consolidation rates caused by the non-Darcian and Darcian flows is significant. Therefore, when the geometrical nonlinearity of the soft clay is considered in calculating the consolidation settlement, due to the complexity of the large-strain assumption, the small-strain assumption can be used to replace it if the self-weight stress for the small-strain assumption is calculated by considering its sedimentation. However, due to the aforementioned large difference between the consolidation rates with consideration of the non-Darcian flow in soft clay or not, it is better to consider the non-Darcian flow law for both the small and large stain assumptions.

Non-Darcian Flow Toward a Finite-Diameter Vertical Well in a Confined Aquifer

Non-Darcian radial flow toward a finite-diameter,fully penetrating well in a confined aquifer was analyzed on the basis of the Izbash equation with consideration of the wellbore storage eflect.We derived semi-analytical solutions of drawdown by using the Boltzmann transform,and obtained approximate analytical solutions of the drawdown at early and late times.MATLAB programs were developed to facilitate computation of the semi-analytical solutions.The turbulence factor v which was directly related to the pumping rate appeared to have negligible influence upon the wellbore well function at early times,but imposed significant influence at intermediate and late times.However,the turbulence factor v imposed non-negligible influence upon the aquifer well function during the entire pumping period,provided that the observation point was not suflciently close to the wellbore.Sensitivity analysis indicated that the power index n in the Izbash equation had less influence on the type curves at the face of the pumping wellbore,but had much greater influence upon the well function in the aquifer.As the n values increased,the drawdown in the aquifer decreased at early times and increased at late times.The Boltzmann transformation could only be used in an approximate sense for radial non-Darcian flow problems.This approximation would provide accurate solutions at early times,and introduce small but consistent discrepancies at intermediate and late times for the wellbore well function.

One-dimensional consolidation of double-layered soil with non-Darcian flow described by exponent and threshold gradient

Based on non-Darcian flow law described by exponent and threshold gradient within a double-layered soil, the classic theory of one-dimensional consolidation of double-layered soil was modified to consider the change of vertical total stress with depth and time together. Because of the complexity of governing equations, the numerical solutions were obtained in detail by finite difference method. Then, the numerical solutions were compared with the analytical solutions in condition that non-Darcian flow law was degenerated to Dary's law, and the comparison results show that numerical solutions are reliable. Finally, consolidation behavior of double-layered soil with different parameters was analyzed, and the results show that the consolidation rate of double-layered soil decreases with increasing the value of exponent and threshold of non-Darcian flow, and the exponent and threshold gradient of the first soil layer greatly influence the consolidation rate of double-layered soil. The larger the ratio of the equivalent water head of external load to the total thickness of double-layered soil, the larger the rate of the consolidation, and the similitude relationship in classical consolidation theory of double-layered soil is not satisfied. The other consolidation behavior of double-layered soil with non-Darcian flow is the same as that with Darcy's law.

Analysis of one-dimensional consolidation of soft soils with non-Darcian flow caused by non-Newtonian liquid

Based on non-Darcian flow caused by non-Newtonian liquid, the theory of one-dimensional (1D) consolidation was modified to consider variation in the total vertical stress with depth and time. The finite difference method (FDM) was adopted to obtain numerical solutions for excess pore water pressure and average degree of consolidation. When non-Darcian flow is degenerated into Darcian flow, a comparison between numerical solutions and analytical solutions was made to verify reliability of finite difference solutions. Finally, taking into account the ramp time-dependent loading, consolidation behaviors with non-Darcian flow under various parameters were analyzed. Thus, a comprehensive analysis of 1D consolidation combined with non-Darcian flow caused by non-Newtonian liquid was conducted in this paper.

Investigation of Barree-Conway non-Darcy flow effects on coalbed methane production

Coalbed gas non-Darcy flow has been observed in high permeable fracture systems,and some mathematical and numerical models have been proposed to study the effects of non-Darcy flow using Forchheimer non-Darcy model.However,experimental results show that the assumption of a constant Forchheimer factor may cause some limitations in using Forchheimer model to describe non-Darcy flow in porous media.In order to investigate the effects of non-Darcy flow on coalbed methane production,this work presents a more general coalbed gas non-Darcy flow model according to Barree-Conway equation,which could describe the entire range of relationships between flow velocity and pressure gradient from low to high flow velocity.An expanded mixed finite element method is introduced to solve the coalbed gas non-Darcy flow model,in which the gas pressure and velocity can be approximated simultaneously.Error estimate results indicate that pressure and velocity could achieve first-order convergence rate.Non-Darcy simulation results indicate that the non-Darcy effect is significant in the zone near the wellbore,and with the distance from the wellbore increasing,the non-Darcy effect becomes weak gradually.From simulation results,we have also found that the non-Darcy effect is more significant at a lower bottom-hole pressure,and the gas production from non-Darcy flow is lower than the production from Darcy flow under the same permeable condition.

Hydromagnetic thin film flow of Casson fluid in non-Darcy porous medium with Joule dissipation and Navier＇s partial slip

In this paper, the effects of viscous and Ohmic heating and heat genera- tion/absorption on magnetohydrodynamic flow of an electrically conducting Casson thin film fluid over an unsteady horizontal stretching sheet in a non-Darcy porous medium are investigated. The fluid is assumed to slip along the boundary of the sheet. Similar- ity transformation is used to translate the governing partial differential equations into ordinary differential equations. A shooting technique in conjunction with the 4th order Runge-Kutta method is used to solve the transformed equations. Computations are car- ried out for velocity and temperature of the fluid thin film along with local skin friction coefficient and local Nusselt number for a range of values of pertinent flow parameters. It is observed that the Casson parameter has the ability to enhance free surface velocity and film thickness, whereas the Forchheimer parameter, which, is responsible for the inertial drag has an adverse effect on the fluid velocity inside the film. The velocity slip along the boundary tends to decrease the fluid velocity. This investigation has various applications in engineering and in practical problems such as very large scale integration （VLSI） of electronic chips and film coating.

Peristaltic Blood Flow with Gold Nanoparticles on a Carreau Nanofluid through a Non-Darcian Porous Medium

The article investigates the influences of a variable thermal conductivity and wall slip on a peristaltic motion of Carreau nanofluid. The model is concerned with heat and mass transfer inside asymmetric channel. The blood is considered as the base Carreau non-Newtonian fluid and gold (Au) as nanoparticles stressed upon. The Fronchiener effect of the non-Darcian medium is taken in consideration. The system is stressed upon a strong magnetic field and the Hall currents are completed. The problem is modulated mathematically by a system of non-linear partial differential equations which describe the fluid velocity, temperature and concentration. The system is reformulated under the approximation of long wavelength and low Reynolds number. It is solved on using multi-step differential transform method (Ms-DTM) as a semi-analytical method. A gold nanoparticle has increased the temperature distribution which is of great importance in destroying the cancer cells.

Numerical investigation of Dufour and Soret effects on unsteadyMHD natural convection flow past vertical plate embedded innon-Darcy porous medium

The Dufour and Soret effects on the unsteady twodimensional magnetonyaro dynamics （MHD） doublediffusive free convective flow of an electrically conducting fluid past a vertical plate embedded in a nonDarcy porous medium are investigated numeri cally. The governing nonlinear dimensionless equations are solved by an implicit finite difference scheme of the CrankNicolson type with a tridiagonal matrix manipulation. The effects of various parameters entering into the problem on the unsteady dimension less velocity, temperature, and concentration profiles are studied in detail. Furthermore, the time variation of the skin friction coefficient, the Nusselt number, and the Sherwood number is presented and analyzed. The results show that the unsteady velocity, tem perature, and concentration profiles are substantially influenced by the Dufour and Soret effects. When the Dufour number increases or the Soret number decreases, both the skin friction and the Sherwood number decrease, while the Nusselt number increases. It is found that, when the magnetic parameter increases, the velocity and the temperature decrease in the boundary layer.

Effect of Variable Viscosity, Dufour, Soret and Thermal Conductivity on Free Convective Heat and Mass Transfer of Non-Darcian Flow past Porous Flat Surface

The motion of incompressible fluid of a variable fluid viscosity and variable thermal conductivity with thermal radiation, Dufour, Soret with heat and mass transfer over a linearly moving porous vertical semi-infinite plate with suction is investigated. The governing equations are transformed into a system of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations using similarity transformations with dimensionless variables and solved numerically using shooting method with Runge-Kutta fourth-order method and Newton-Raphson’s interpolation scheme implemented in MATLAB. The result showed that with increase in Dufour and Soret parameter, fluid velocity increases and temperature increases with increase in variation of Dufour while, temperature decreases with increase in Soret. The effects of variable fluid viscosity, variable thermal conductivity, thermal radiation, Soret, Dufour, Prandtl and Schmidt parameters on the dimensionless velocity, temperature and concentration profiles are shown graphically.

Identifying Non-Darcian Flow and Non-Fickian Pressure Propagation in Field-Scale Discrete Fracture Networks

Non-Darcian flow has been well documented for fractured media, while the potential non-Darcian flow and its driven factors in field-scale discrete fracture networks (DFNs) remain obscure. This study conducts Monte Carlo simulations of water flow through DFNs to identify non-Darcian flow and non-Fickian pressure propagation in field-scale DFNs, by adjusting fracture density, matrix hydraulic conductivity, and the general hydraulic gradient. Numerical simulations and analyses show that interactions of the fracture architecture with the hydraulic gradient affect non-Darcian flow in DFNs, by generating and adjusting complex pathways for water. The fracture density affects significantly the propagation of hydraulic head/pressure in the DFN, likely due to fracture connectivity and flow channeling. The non-Darcian flow pattern may not be directly correlated to the non-Fickian pressure propagation process in the regional-scale DFNs, because they refer to different states of water flow and their controlling factors may not be the same. Findings of this study improve our understanding of the nature of flow in DFNs.