3D numerical simulation of the enhanced oil recovery process using nanoscale colloidal solution flooding

A New 3D Mathematical Model for Simulating Nanofluid Flooding in a Porous Medium for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Two-phase Darcy's law is a well-known mathematical model used in the petrochemical industry. It predicts the fluid flow in reservoirs and can be used to optimize oil production using recent technology. Indeed, various models have been proposed for predicting oil recovery using injected nanofluids (NFs). Among them, numerical modeling is attracting the attention of scientists and engineers owing to its ability to modify the thermophysical properties of NFs such as density, viscosity, and thermal conductivity. Herein, a new model for simulating NF injection into a 3D porous media for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is investigated. This model has been developed for its ability to predict oil recovery across a wide range of temperatures and volume fractions (VFs). For the first time, the model can examine the changes and effects of thermophysical properties on the EOR process based on empirical correlations depending on two variables, VF and inlet temperature. The governing equations obtained from Darcy's law, mass conservation, concentration, and energy equations were numerically evaluated using a time-dependent finite-element method. The findings indicated that optimizing the temperature and VF could significantly improve the thermophysical properties of the EOR process. We observed that increasing the inlet temperature (353.15 K) and volume fraction (4%) resulted in better oil displacement, improved sweep efficiency, and enhanced mobility of the NF. The oil recovery decreased when the VF (>4%) and temperature exceeded 353.15 K. Remarkably, the optimal VF and inlet temperature for changing the thermophysical properties increased the oil production by 30%.

Thermophysical Properties of Nanofluid in Two-Phase Fluid Flow through a Porous Rectangular Medium for Enhanced Oil Recovery

It is necessary to sustain energy from an external reservoir or employ advanced technologies to enhance oil recovery. A greater volume of oil may be recovered by employing nanofluid flooding. In this study, we investigated oil extraction in a two-phase incompressible fluid in a two-dimensional rectangular porous homogenous area filled with oil and having no capillary pressure. The governing equations that were derived from Darcy’s law and the mass conservation law were solved using the finite element method. Compared to earlier research, a more efficient numerical model is proposed here. The proposed model allows for the cost-effective study of heating-based inlet fluid in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and uses the empirical correlations of the nanofluid thermophysical properties on the relative permeability equations of the nanofluid and oil, so it is more accurate than other models to determine the higher recovery factor of one nanoparticle compared to other nanoparticles. Next, the effect of nanoparticle volume fraction on flooding was evaluated. EOR via nanofluid flooding processes and the effect of the intake temperatures (300 and 350 K) were also simulated by comparing three nanoparticles: SiO2, Al2O3, and CuO. The results show that adding nanoparticles (<5 v%) to a base fluid enhanced the oil recovery by more than 20%. Increasing the inlet temperature enhanced the oil recovery due to changes in viscosity and density of oil. Increasing the relative permeability of nanofluid while simultaneously reducing the relative permeability of oil due to the presence of nanoparticles was the primary reason for EOR.

Application of conventional and hybrid nanofluids in different machining processes: A critical review

This paper reviews the application of conventional and hybrid nano cutting fluids with different additives in various machining processes, namely turning, milling, drilling, and grinding ones. The literature states that using nanofluids, as cutting fluids, improves the lubrication and cooling in comparison with conventional cutting liquids, while the level of improvement depends on some parameters. In turning process, for each nanofluid, there is a specific pressure, flow rate, and nanoparticle volume fraction to reach optimum performance. Nanoparticle concentration in the range of 0.25%-0.5% (low and economical concentrations) is the most repetitive for optimal case in most of machining processes. Also, hybrid nanofluids show more positive effects compared with conventional nanofluids and base fluids. According to the reports, important parameters such as cutting temperature, cutting force, tool wear, and surface roughness experience 10%-40% and in some cases 50%-70% positive change after applying nanoparticles in turning processes. On the other hand, for the milling process, the SiO₂, MoS₂ and graphene nanoparticles are reported as most applied and effective ones in the literature. For the drilling process, the Cu and diamond nanoparticles are the most applied nanoparticles with positive effect. Moreover, the most utilized nanoparticles for grinding process are MoS₂, Al₂O₃ and diamond families. The corresponding challenges in this field are also examined and directions for future research are recommended.