The characterization and visualization of multi-phase systems using microfluidic devices

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dc.contributor.advisorBiswal, Sibani L
dc.contributor.committeeMemberHirasaki, George J
dc.contributor.committeeMemberWong, Michael S
dc.contributor.committeeMemberRiviere, Beatrice M
dc.creatorConn, Charles Andrew
dc.date.accessioned2015-06-24T06:08:58Z
dc.date.available2015-06-24T06:08:58Z
dc.date.created2014-12
dc.date.issued2015-03-10
dc.date.submittedDecember 2014
dc.date.updated2015-06-24T06:08:58Z
dc.description.abstractThe stability and dynamics of multi-phase systems are still not fully understood, especially in systems of confinement such as microchannel networks and porous media. In particular, systems of liquids and gases that form foam are important in a number of applications including enhanced oil recovery (EOR). This research seeks to better understand the mechanisms of multi-phase fluid interaction responsible for the displacement of oil. The answers to these questions give insight into the design of efficient EOR recovery strategies, and provides a platform on which researchers can perform studies on pore-level phenomena. Our experiments use poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) devices which can be made using inexpensive materials without hazardous chemicals and can be designed and fabricated in just a few hours to save time, money, and effort. The unique contribution of this thesis is the development of a general “reservoir-on-a-chip” research platform that facilitates study of multi-phase systems relevant to energy-industry applications. Experiments with a fractured porous media micromodel quantified pressure drop and remaining oil saturation for different recovery strategies. It demonstrated foam flooding’s superior performance compared to waterflooding, gas flooding, and water-alternating-gas flooding by increasing flow resistance in the fracture and high-permeability zones and directing fluids into the low-permeability zone. Mechanisms of phase-separation were observed which suggest it is inappropriate to treat foam as a homogeneous phase. Experiments with foam in a 2-D porous matrix investigated mechanisms of foam generation, destruction, and transport and related foam texture (bubble size) to pressure drop and apparent viscosity. MATLAB code written for this thesis automated quantification of over 120,000 bubbles to generate plots of bubble size distributions for alpha olefin sulfonate (AOS 14-16) at different foam quality (gas fraction) conditions. The experimental devices and analytical software tools developed in this work open the door for future experiments to screen and compare surfactant formulations. One may readily envision developing libraries of surfactant data from micromodel experiments which can then be data-mined to discover relationships between surfactant structure, performance, and environmental conditions.
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.citationConn, Charles Andrew. "The characterization and visualization of multi-phase systems using microfluidic devices." (2015) Diss., Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/80769">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/80769</a>.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/80769
dc.language.isoeng
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.
dc.titleThe characterization and visualization of multi-phase systems using microfluidic devices
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.materialText
thesis.degree.departmentChemical and Biomolecular Engineering
thesis.degree.disciplineEngineering
thesis.degree.grantorRice University
thesis.degree.levelDoctoral
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy
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