Porosimetry

DigiM porosimetry numerically simulates liquid-intrusion-based drainage and imbibition processes using high performance computing, and obtains capillary pressure and controlling pore-throat distribution.

DigiM porosimetry is designed to solve all problems encountered in a physical porosimetry measurement (such as Mercury Intrusion Capillary Porosimetry -- MICP), particularly for soft materials. DigiM porosimetry avoided the following difficulties in physical MICP, 

• Sample damage under high pressure;
  
• Sample deformation and compression under pressure;
  
• Long turn-around time for low porosity and low permeability material;
  
• The use of environmentally hazardous material such as Mercury.

In addition to avoiding problems, DigiM porosimetry offers further advantages,

• Simulations can be performed in 2D and 3D;
  
• All drainage or imbibition stages can be visualized directly;
  
• Residual saturation can be predicted and visualized;
  
• Liquid intrusion can be initiated along any of the three directions to study flow anisotropy;
  
• Wettability and its impact on flow properties can be studied in a controlled manner; 
  
• Digital models can be reused for mixed wettability and complex multiphase studies.

The slides below demonstrate a validation case study on a sintered glass bead where both physical and digital porosimetry experiments are conducted on the exact same sample. Click here to review a live demo. 

Primary Drainage and Imbibition Visualization (video)

Blue: Non-wetting phase

Grey: Trapped non-wetting phase