Modeling of Pore-Scale Two-Phase Phenomena Using Density Functional Hydrodynamics

Predictive modeling of pore-scale multiphase flow is a powerful instrument that enhances understanding of recovery potential of subsurface formations. To endow a pore-scale modeling tool with predictive capabilities, one needs to be sure that this tool is capable, in the first place, of reproducing basic phenomena inherent in multiphase processes. In this paper, we overview numerical simulations performed by means of density functional hydrodynamics of several important multiphase flow mechanisms. In one of the reviewed cases, snap-off in free fluid, we demonstrate one-to-one comparison between numerical simulation and experiment. In another case, geometry-constrained snap-off, we show consistency of our modeling with theoretical criterion. In other more complex cases such as flow in pore doublets and simple system of pores, we demonstrate consistency of our modeling with published data and with existing understanding of the processes in question.