Impact of inlet velocity on non-Darcian-Forchheimer oil flow in porous media: A numerical approach

Abstract

Predicting fluid behaviour accurately is crucial for optimising extraction methods in petroleum engineering due to the considerable hurdles posed by the non-Darcian flow of oil through porous surfaces. This work utilises numerical methodology employing COMSOL Multiphysics to model the movement of oil through different types of porous materials. The main aim is to investigate the impact of inlet velocities and material properties on flow behaviour. This research is unique because it thoroughly investigates flow dynamics, using the Forchheimer equation to represent nonlinear flow behaviour accurately. Traditional models generally overlook this aspect. The main objectives were to clarify the connections between flow velocity, pressure drop, and friction factors across various porous materials. The main result is that the friction factor for SiLi beads reached 1.89 when the velocities exceeded 1 m/s, which indicates a shift to turbulent flow. When the inlet velocity was set to 2 m/s, the glass balls exhibited a maximum axial velocity of around 2.0231 m/s, indicating that they offered the least resistance to the flow. The pressure differential over SiLi beads was measured at 7.11 × 10⁸ Pa when the flow velocity was 10 m/s, while gravels exhibited a pressure drop of 0.52 × 10⁸ Pa and glass balls had a pressure drop of 0.15 × 10⁸ Pa. These findings emphasise the crucial significance of considering non-Darcian effects when modelling oil flow through porous surfaces, as they have a major impact on extraction efficiency. Gaining insight into these processes can enhance oil extraction rates and more efficient resource management, rendering this research vital for progress in petroleum engineering and associated disciplines.