ECCOMAS 2024

Estimating Relative Permeability Curves Using The Single-Phase Lattice Boltzmann Method

  • dos Santos, Luís (Federal University of Santa Catarina)
  • Siebert, Diogo (Federal University of Santa Catarina)
  • Bazarin, Ricardo (Federal University of Santa Catarina)

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Relative permeability curves are essential across various disciplines, serving as fundamental tools in the study of fluid flow through porous media. Applications range from petroleum engineering for reservoir simulations to hydrology, soil science, and chemical engineering. Attempts have been made to obtain relative permeability curves through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations in porous geometry, obtained by microtomography. Among the CFD methods, the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) has gained popularity for its ability to handle complex geometries and its parallelizability. It is particularly well-suited for simulating multiphase flow at the pore scale, enabling direct modeling of fluid behavior within individual pores and throats. However, the application of LBM for multiphase flow simulations to obtain relative permeability curves demands significant computational resources and time. This study proposes using the single-phase LBM to obtain relative permeability curves, based on the assumption that steady-state conditions are essencial for applying Darcy equation for multiphase flow. Our objective is to assess the feasibility and advantages of employing single-phase LBM to obtain relative permeability curves, which would mean a considerable reduction in the computational demands required for simulations.