A 2-DIMENSIONAL NETWORK SIMULATOR FOR 2-PHASE FLOW IN POROUS-MEDIA

We investigate a two-dimensional network simulator that model the dyna mics of drainage dominated flow where film flow can be neglected. We p resent a new method for simulating the temporal evolution of the press ure due to capillary and viscous forces in the displacement process. T o model the dynamics, we let the local capillary pressure change as if the menisci move in and out of hour-glass shaped tubes. Furthermore, a method has been developed to allow simultaneous flow of two liquids into one tube. The model is suitable to simulate different time depend encies in two-phase drainage displacements. In this paper, we simulate the temporal evolution of the fluid pressures and analyze the time de pendence of the front between the two liquids. The front width was fou nd to be consistent with a scaling relation w proportional to t(beta) h(t/t(s)). The dynamical exponent, beta, describing the front width ev olution as function of time, was estimated to beta = 1.0. The results are compared to experimental data of Frette and co-workers.