Stability of Miscible Thermal Displacement in a Porous Medium
KA Narayan, BW Walsh · 1982
The stability of nonisothermal flow through porous media is investigated experimentally, when both density and viscosity are functions of temperature. The instability phenomena are due to the buoyancy effect of a density gradient directed upward, and to the fingering effect of the displacement of a more viscous fluid by a less viscous one. A series of temperature profiles in a packed column have been obtained where hot fluid displaces the same cold fluid (miscible thermal displacement) in a vertically upward direction. Based on these temperature profiles a stability criterion has been established in terms of Rayleigh Numbers. This kind of investigation may be useful in thermal recovery of hydrocarbons from underground reservoirs where a cold front of oil is followed by hot oil. Results are compared with the theoretical work available in the literature.