Acoustically activated release of organic liquids in porous media: a multiscale experimental investigation using laser-based optical diagnostics

A porous medium is a material that contains open voids where liquid can become trapped. Trapping of liquid in a porous medium is important in a variety of technological and naturally-occurring processes, including extraction of natural resources such as petroleum. Shale and sandstone are two types of sedimentary rock that serve as a common source of petroleum due the porosity of these types of rock.

Extracting oil from rock is an energy intensive process that only yields about 40% of the total available oil. The remainder remains trapped inside void spaces within the rock. Improving the extraction yield requires techniques that are prohibitively expensive and can cause greater environmental harm than the initial extraction process.

This project will investigate the hypothesis that acoustic sound waves can be used to improve the yield of petroleum from oil-bearing rock. Sound waves are advantageous because they can travel long distances through rock and do not introduce potential sources of contamination to the petroleum reservoir. A combination of analytical and experimental approaches will be used to describe transport phenomena related to multiphase flow through porous media.

The resulting information will yield insight into the growth, break up and phase separation of multiphase flows in porous systems that can have applications beyond the extraction of oil, such as the production and performance of paints, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and processed foods.

The overall objective of this project is to experimentally investigate acoustic separation of an oil phase from a porous oil rock analog. The results of these experiments will be used to develop a scaling model based on fundamental principles to describe oil phase separation from porous media across multiple scales. To achieve this objective, the specific tasks of the project are: (1) develop a two-dimensional experimental micromodel of oil-trapping porous media to serve as a control; (2) acoustically actuate the two-dimensional micromodel and use flow visualization and microscopic particle image velocimetry to study the resulting two-phase flow fields, and develop a three-dimensional scaling model to characterize the observed behavior as a function of injection rate, frequency, and input voltage (which is directly related to acoustic pressure and energy density); and (3) investigate and refine acoustic actuation in a three-dimensional porous oil rock analog using laser-based visualization of flows in an experimental model to validate scaling models.

The research team will collaborate with the Society of Hispanic Engineers to deliver lectures on acoustics to a Hispanic high school population of about 700 students. These lectures will utilize research products to enhance the learning experience of the students and provide them with insight into the STEM field. The team will also interact with the Academic Program for Excellence to inspire freshman students, especially those from underrepresented groups, and to introduce them to the field of acoustics.

This project is jointly funded by Particulate and Multiphase Processes and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.