Benchmarking Tailored Formulations of Multiphase Flow in Porous Media

Á. Sainz [1,2], A. Nardi [1], E. Abarca [1], F. Grandía [1]
[1] Amphos 21 Consulting S.L., Barcelona, Spain
[2] Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
Published in 2015

Nowadays, gas and nuclear waste storage, shale gas and EOR exploitation rise the need to understand and predict the fate of multiphase flows in the underground. Various formulations for multiphase flow arise from different linear combinations of governing equations and choice of associated unknowns. Each formulation has its own benefits and drawbacks; and the optimal may vary depending on the conceptualization of the problem. A set of formulations have been implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics®. The formulations are able to model two-phase, variable density, miscible and immiscible fluid flows in any dimensions. Equations of state of oil, water, brine and supercritical CO2 were implemented although they can be easily extended to other fluids. These formulations can be combined with other physics to create new multiphase multiphysics applications