Quantifying Multiphase Flow of Aqueous Acid and Gas CO$_2$ in Deforming Porous Media Subject to Dissolution

TL;DR

This study investigates mineral dissolution in porous media under various flow conditions using calcite-based microfluidic models, providing insights into pore-scale flow dynamics and dissolution interactions relevant to natural and engineering systems.

Contribution

The paper introduces novel calcite-based microfluidic models to study mineral dissolution and flow coupling at the pore scale, offering detailed experimental insights.

Findings

Flow dynamics during mineral dissolution characterized

Correlations between pore flow and dissolution rates established

Microfluidic approach enables precise observation of dissolution processes

Abstract

Mineral dissolution in porous media coupled with single- or multi-phase flows is pervasive in natural and engineering systems including carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and acid stimulation in reservoir engineering. Dissolution of minerals occurs as chemicals in the solid phase is transformed into ions in the aqueous phase, effectively modifying the physical, hydrological and geochemical properties of the solid matrix, and thus leading to the strong coupling between local dissolution rate and pore-scale flow. However, our fundamental understanding of this coupling effect at the pore level is still limited. In this work, mineral dissolution is studied using novel calcite-based porous micromodels under single- and multiphase conditions, with a focus on the interactions of mineral dissolution with pore flow. The microfluidic devices used in the experiments were fabricated in calcite using photolithography and wet etching. These surrogate porous media offer precise control over the structures and chemical properties and facilitate unobstructed and unaberrated optical access to the pore flow with micro-PIV methods. The preliminary results provide a unique view of the flow dynamics during mineral dissolution. Based on these pore-scale measurements, correlations between pore-scale flow and dissolution rates can be developed for several representative conditions.