MicroCT X-Ray Imaging of Hydrodynamic Dispersion under Steady-State Two-Phase Flow

Transport, mixing, and mass exchange under two-phase flow conditions are complex processes, which have not been yet understood, while they are highly important for enhanced oil recovery applications. We performed high-resolution microCT X-ray imaging to visualise and estimate the transport of DI water in a steady-state two-phase (KI solution-fluorinert) flow glass beads system. The experiments were performed in the Diamond Light Source, UK. The preliminary results show clear signature of saturation and saturation topology on mixing and dispersion coefficient. The experimental results imply that hydrodynamic dispersion under two-phase flow should be physically integrated into the two-phase flow properties, which is not fully captured in the current state-of-the-art literature. The experiments establish the first foundation to utilise the advanced fast microtomography X-ray imaging to understand the fundamentals of transport and mixing in two-phase systems, which are highly valuable for enhanced oil recovery applications.