Modeling of Heat Transfer in Porous Media at a Pore Level Scale

ABSTRACT

Thermal recovery processes are the backbone of bitumen recovery in Canada. In order to predict the minimum amount of the required steam accurate data on the reservoir properties are needed. Effective thermal conductivity of porous media plays an important role in heat balance calculations. Thermal conductivity of rock and oil can be measured more or less accurately. But it is unclear how to calculate effective thermal conductivity of fluid filled porous media. Literature obtained mixing rules have some limitations and uncertainties. The objective of this paper is to verify different mixing rules using a modeling approach.
A heat transfer model at the pore scale size is considered. The model consists of rock and fluid. Different types of fluid and rock are considered by assigning different heat transfer related properties to each domain. Effective thermal conductivity is calculated by solving heat transfer equations. The calculated effective thermal conductivity is then compared to the results of different mixing rules. Similarities and differences are discussed.
The presented data cover unconsolidated (sand particles) and consolidated (dolomite) scenarios. Porosity is an additional variable. Thermal conductivities are considered both as constants and as functions of temperature.

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