Maximum Sizes of Fluid-Occupied Pores within Hydrate-Bearing Porous Media Composed of Different Host Particles
Hydraulic properties of hydrate-bearing sediments are largely affected by the maximum size of pores occupied by fluids. However, effects of host particle properties on the maximum size of fluid-occupied pores within hydrate-bearing sediments remain elusive, and differences in the maximum equivalent,...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2020-01-01
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| Series: | Geofluids |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/8880286 |
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| Summary: | Hydraulic properties of hydrate-bearing sediments are largely affected by the maximum size of pores occupied by fluids. However, effects of host particle properties on the maximum size of fluid-occupied pores within hydrate-bearing sediments remain elusive, and differences in the maximum equivalent, incircle, and hydraulic diameters of fluid-occupied pores evolving with hydrate saturation have not been well understood. In this study, numerical simulations of grain-coating and pore-filling hydrate nucleation and growth within different artificial porous media are performed to quantify the maximum equivalent, incircle, and hydraulic diameters of fluid-occupied pores during hydrate formation, and how maximum diameters of fluid-occupied pores change with hydrate saturation is analyzed. Then, theoretical models of geometry factors for incircle and hydraulic diameters are proposed based on fractal theory, and variations of fluid-occupied pore shapes during hydrate formation are discussed. Results show that host particle properties have obvious effects on the intrinsic maximum diameters of fluid-occupied pores and introduce discrepancies in evolutions of the maximum pore diameters during hydrate formation. Pore-filling hydrates reduce the maximum incircle and hydraulic diameters of fluid-occupied pores much more significantly than grain-coating hydrates; however, hydrate pore habits have minor effects on the maximum equivalent diameter reduction. Shapes of fluid-occupied pores change little due to the presence of grain-coating hydrates, but pore-filling hydrates lead to much fibrous shapes of fluid-occupied pores. |
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| ISSN: | 1468-8115 1468-8123 |