Real‐time visualization of Haines jumps in sandstone with laboratory‐based microcomputed tomography. Issue 10 (28th October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bultreys, Tom; Boone, Marijn A.; Boone, Matthieu N.; De Schryver, Thomas; Masschaele, Bert; Van Loo, Denis; Van Hoorebeke, Luc; Cnudde, Veerle
• Is Part Of: Water resources research. Volume 51:Issue 10(2015:Oct.)
• Page Start: 8668
• Page End: 8676
• Publication Date: 2015-10-28
• Subjects: pore‐scale visualization -- Haines jumps -- drainage -- microcomputed tomography -- dynamic imaging; Hydrology -- Periodicals; 333.91
• DOI: 10.1002/2015WR017502
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0043-1397

Abstract

Abstract: In this work, we present a novel laboratory‐based microcomputed tomography (micro‐CT) experiment designed to investigate the pore‐scale drainage behavior of natural sandstone under dynamic conditions. The fluid distribution in a Bentheimer sandstone was visualized every 4 s with a 12 s measurement time, allowing the investigation of single‐pore and few‐pore‐filling events. To our knowledge, this is the first time that such measurements were performed outside of synchrotron facilities, illustrating the growing application potential of laboratory‐based micro‐CT with subminute temporal resolutions for geological research at the pore scale. To illustrate how the workflow can lead to an improved understanding of drainage behavior, the experiment was analyzed using a decomposition of the pore space into individual geometrical pores. Preliminary results from this analysis suggest that the distribution of drainage event sizes follows a power law scaling, as expected from percolation theory. Key Points: Drainage in sandstone was visualized with bench‐top micro‐CT scanner at 12 s/scan Single‐pore and multiple pore‐filling events were analyzed by tracking gray values in individual pores Methods presented here allow to inspect the validity of percolation theory to describe the invasion