D. Bringemeier

Microbubble transport in water‐saturated porous media

Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate flow of discrete microbubbles through a water-saturated porous medium. During the experiments, bubbles, released from a diffuser, moved upward through a quasi-2-D flume filled with transparent water-based gelbeads and formed a distinct plume that could be well registered by a calibrated camera. Outflowing bubbles were collected on the top of the flume using volumetric burettes for flux measurements. We quantified the scaling behaviors between the gas (bubble) release rates and various characteristic parameters of the bubble plume, including plume tip velocity, plume width, and breakthrough time of the plume front. The experiments also revealed circulations of ambient pore water induced by the bubble flow. Based on a simple momentum exchange model, we showed that the relationship between the mean pore water velocity and gas release rate is consistent with the scaling solution for the bubble plume. These findings have important implications for studies of natural gas emission and air sparging, as well as fundamental research on bubble transport in porous media.

Scaling solutions for connectivity and conductivity of continuous random networks.

Connectivity and conductivity of two-dimensional fracture networks (FNs), as an important type of continuous random networks, are examined systematically through Monte Carlo simulations under a variety of conditions, including different power law distributions of the fracture lengths and domain sizes. The simulation results are analyzed using analogies of the percolation theory for discrete random networks. With a characteristic length scale and conductivity scale introduced, we show that the connectivity and conductivity of FNs can be well described by universal scaling solutions. These solutions shed light on previous observations of scale-dependent FN behavior and provide a powerful method for quantifying effective bulk properties of continuous random networks.

In-situ coal seam and overburden permeability characterization combining downhole flow meter and temperature logs.

Abstract The planning and design of any coal mine development requires among others a thorough investigation of the geological, geotechnical and hydrogeological subsurface conditions. As part of a coal mine exploration program we conducted heat pulse vertical flow meter testing. The flow data were combined with absolute and differential temperature logging data to gain information about the hydraulic characteristics of two different coal seams and their over- and interburden. For the strata that were localised based on geophysical logging data including density, gamma ray and resistivity hydraulic properties were quantified. We demonstrate that the temperature log response complements the flow meter log response. A coupling of both methods is therefore recommended to get an insight into the hydraulic conditions in a coal seam and its overburden.

Micro-Scale Flow Simulations and Permeability Estimation of Cleat Networks in Coal

Coal mining raises a number of environmental and operational challenges, including the impact of changing groundwater levels and flow patterns on adjacent aquifer and surface water systems. Therefore it is of paramount importance to fully understand the flow of water and gases in the geological system on all scales. Flow in coal seams takes place on a wide range of scales from large faults and fractures to the micro-structure of a porous matrix intersected by a characteristic cleat network. On the micro-scale these cleats provide the principal source of permeability for fluid and gas flow. Description of the behaviour of the flow within the network is challenging due to the variations in number, sizing, orientation, aperture and connectivity at a given site. This paper presents a methodology to simulate flow and investigate the permeability of fractured media. A profound characterization of the geometry of the cleat network in micrometer resolution can be derived by CT-scans. The structural information is fed into a Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) based model that allows the implementation of virtual flow experiments. With the application of suitable hydraulic boundary conditions the full permeability tensor can be calculated in 3D.