Fast laboratory-based micro-computed tomography for pore-scale research: Illustrative experiments and perspectives on the future. (September 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bultreys, Tom; Boone, Marijn A.; Boone, Matthieu N.; De Schryver, Thomas; Masschaele, Bert; Van Hoorebeke, Luc; Cnudde, Veerle
• Is Part Of: Advances in water resources. Volume 95(2016)
• Page Start: 341
• Page End: 351
• Publication Date: 2016-09
• Subjects: 4D micro-computed tomography -- Dynamic imaging -- Pore scale -- Drainage -- Solute transport; Hydrology -- Periodicals; Hydrodynamics -- Periodicals; Hydraulic engineering -- Periodicals; 551.48
• DOI: 10.1016/j.advwatres.2015.05.012
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0309-1708

Abstract

Highlights: State of the art in fast laboratory-based X-ray micro-computed tomography is outlined. Real-time, pore-scale visualization of drainage in Bentheimer with lab-based scanner. Solute transport is imaged at the pore scale in a limestone at 12 s per scan. Abstract: Over the past decade, the wide-spread implementation of laboratory-based X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scanners has revolutionized both the experimental and numerical research on pore-scale transport in geological materials. The availability of these scanners has opened up the possibility to image a rock's pore space in 3D almost routinely to many researchers. While challenges do persist in this field, we treat the next frontier in laboratory-based micro-CT scanning: in-situ, time-resolved imaging of dynamic processes. Extremely fast (even sub-second) micro-CT imaging has become possible at synchrotron facilities over the last few years, however, the restricted accessibility of synchrotrons limits the amount of experiments which can be performed. The much smaller X-ray flux in laboratory-based systems bounds the time resolution which can be attained at these facilities. Nevertheless, progress is being made to improve the quality of measurements performed on the sub-minute time scale. We illustrate this by presenting cutting-edge pore scale experiments visualizing two-phase flow and solute transport in real-time with a lab-based environmental micro-CT set-up. To outline the current state of this young field and its relevance to pore-scale transport research, we critically examine its current bottlenecks and their possible solutions, both on the hardware and the software level. Further developments in laboratory-based, time-resolved imaging could prove greatly beneficial to our understanding of transport behavior in geological materials and to the improvement of pore-scale modeling by providing valuable validation.