Experimental and modeling study of foam coarsening kinetics in porous media

The geometric confinement significantly affects the foam coarsening dynamics in porous media. We present experimental and modeling studies of coarsening-induced structural evolution a microfluidic chip. findings are expected to shed light on predicting structure many applications, such as foam-assisted enhanced oil recovery process CO 2 geological sequestration. It is shown that, media, small bubbles constantly consumed by large due inter-bubble gas diffusion until most grow pore or throat size. edge (bubbles contacting boundary) dominates process, showing linear increase average area with time steady-state growth state. A mass transfer model proposed fit rate bubbles, including critical parameters liquid film permeability, gas-liquid interfacial tension, molar volume dispersed phase, polydispersity bubble size distribution. emphasize under same conditions, foams broader distribution exhibits faster higher capillary pressure differences among driving force.