Using the Fluctuation-Dissipation Theorem to Measure Total Phase Mobility During Fractional Flow Experiments
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study investigates the application of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem (FDT) to predict total phase mobility in two-phase flow experiments through porous media. We show that flux fluctuations observed during steady-state multiphase flow can effectively predict total phase mobility. By analyzing these fluctuations under varying fractional flows (fw), we construct a saturation vs. total phase mobility plot and compare the results with experimental measurements obtained using Darcy’s law. Additionally, the experimental system was imaged using X-ray microcomputed tomography (micro-CT), followed by image segmentation to enable direct pore- scale simulations. These simulations were used to measure relative permeability, and thus total phase mobility, offering a complementary approach to the experimental data. The agreement between simulations and experiments supports the use of FDT for measuring total phase mobility in multiphase flow systems. In general, our work highlights the potential of the FDT to convert commonly observed phase fluctuations into quantitative measures of total phase mobility, providing a novel approach to characterizing multiphase flow behavior.
Authors: Umar Alfazazi, Marcel Moura, Ying Da Wang, Dick Bedeaux, Signe Kjelstrup, Peyman Mostaghimi, Ryan T. Armstrong
Language: English
Subfield: Ocean Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6893478697
FWCI:
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: