Experimental study on the rise of aqueous foams in vertical pipes

In this paper we report experiments on the growth of dry foams and their rise in vertical pipes of different circular cross-sectional radii with length over diameter ratios in the interval 25 ≤ h/D ≤ 80 for applications in the study of fracture stimulation in enhanced oil recovery processes. Air inj...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Valeriano S. Álvarez Salazar, Leonardo Di G. Sigalotti, Abraham Medina Ovando, Ignacio Carvajal-Mariscal, Jaime Klapp
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-12-01
Series:Frontiers in Physics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphy.2022.1081168/full
_version_ 1828272045303005184
author Valeriano S. Álvarez Salazar
Leonardo Di G. Sigalotti
Abraham Medina Ovando
Ignacio Carvajal-Mariscal
Jaime Klapp
author_facet Valeriano S. Álvarez Salazar
Leonardo Di G. Sigalotti
Abraham Medina Ovando
Ignacio Carvajal-Mariscal
Jaime Klapp
author_sort Valeriano S. Álvarez Salazar
collection DOAJ
description In this paper we report experiments on the growth of dry foams and their rise in vertical pipes of different circular cross-sectional radii with length over diameter ratios in the interval 25 ≤ h/D ≤ 80 for applications in the study of fracture stimulation in enhanced oil recovery processes. Air injection at the bottom of the pipes is performed at a constant flow rate by means of a single capillary tube. The formation and rising of the foam was investigated for two different cases: 1) when the top cap of the vertical pipes is open and 2) when it is closed. We find that the position and velocity of the foam front as well as the foam dispersivity are both dependent on the pipe diameter and on whether its top end is open or capped. When the top is open, the foam column grows faster compared to the case when it is sealed. In pipes with h/D ≥ 30, the growth rate is non-linear and faster than in pipes with h/D < 30 in which cases the foam rises at an almost constant rate. As the diameter of the pipe increases, the size of the produced bubbles also increases. In closed-top pipes the foams tend to be more homogeneous than in open top pipes. The experimental observations indicate that under foam drainage driven by gravity, the liquid flow velocity across the Plateau borders is indicative of a drainage model based on a plug-like flow in channels with fully mobile interfaces, where viscous dissipation occurs only in the nodes.
first_indexed 2024-04-13T06:01:04Z
format Article
id doaj.art-1bc7876e0eee48cdac52b5b18cf14551
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2296-424X
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-13T06:01:04Z
publishDate 2022-12-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Physics
spelling doaj.art-1bc7876e0eee48cdac52b5b18cf145512022-12-22T02:59:26ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physics2296-424X2022-12-011010.3389/fphy.2022.10811681081168Experimental study on the rise of aqueous foams in vertical pipesValeriano S. Álvarez Salazar0Leonardo Di G. Sigalotti1Abraham Medina Ovando2Ignacio Carvajal-Mariscal3Jaime Klapp4Departamento de Energía, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana—Azcapotzalco (UAM-A), Mexico City, MexicoDepartamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Autónoma Metropolita—Azcapotzalco (UAM-A), Mexico City, MexicoESIME-Azcapotzalco Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), Mexico City, MexicoESIME UPALM Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), Mexico City, MexicoDepartamento de Física, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ), La Marquesa, Ocoyoacac, Estado de México, MexicoIn this paper we report experiments on the growth of dry foams and their rise in vertical pipes of different circular cross-sectional radii with length over diameter ratios in the interval 25 ≤ h/D ≤ 80 for applications in the study of fracture stimulation in enhanced oil recovery processes. Air injection at the bottom of the pipes is performed at a constant flow rate by means of a single capillary tube. The formation and rising of the foam was investigated for two different cases: 1) when the top cap of the vertical pipes is open and 2) when it is closed. We find that the position and velocity of the foam front as well as the foam dispersivity are both dependent on the pipe diameter and on whether its top end is open or capped. When the top is open, the foam column grows faster compared to the case when it is sealed. In pipes with h/D ≥ 30, the growth rate is non-linear and faster than in pipes with h/D < 30 in which cases the foam rises at an almost constant rate. As the diameter of the pipe increases, the size of the produced bubbles also increases. In closed-top pipes the foams tend to be more homogeneous than in open top pipes. The experimental observations indicate that under foam drainage driven by gravity, the liquid flow velocity across the Plateau borders is indicative of a drainage model based on a plug-like flow in channels with fully mobile interfaces, where viscous dissipation occurs only in the nodes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphy.2022.1081168/fullpneumatic foamsdry foamsbubblesgas-liquid interfacesfoam dispersivitycapillarity
spellingShingle Valeriano S. Álvarez Salazar
Leonardo Di G. Sigalotti
Abraham Medina Ovando
Ignacio Carvajal-Mariscal
Jaime Klapp
Experimental study on the rise of aqueous foams in vertical pipes
Frontiers in Physics
pneumatic foams
dry foams
bubbles
gas-liquid interfaces
foam dispersivity
capillarity
title Experimental study on the rise of aqueous foams in vertical pipes
title_full Experimental study on the rise of aqueous foams in vertical pipes
title_fullStr Experimental study on the rise of aqueous foams in vertical pipes
title_full_unstemmed Experimental study on the rise of aqueous foams in vertical pipes
title_short Experimental study on the rise of aqueous foams in vertical pipes
title_sort experimental study on the rise of aqueous foams in vertical pipes
topic pneumatic foams
dry foams
bubbles
gas-liquid interfaces
foam dispersivity
capillarity
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphy.2022.1081168/full
work_keys_str_mv AT valerianosalvarezsalazar experimentalstudyontheriseofaqueousfoamsinverticalpipes
AT leonardodigsigalotti experimentalstudyontheriseofaqueousfoamsinverticalpipes
AT abrahammedinaovando experimentalstudyontheriseofaqueousfoamsinverticalpipes
AT ignaciocarvajalmariscal experimentalstudyontheriseofaqueousfoamsinverticalpipes
AT jaimeklapp experimentalstudyontheriseofaqueousfoamsinverticalpipes