Chapter Three

Poiseuille Equation
The assumptions of the equation are that:

1- The fluid is incompressible and Newtonian;

2- The flow is laminar through a pipe of constant circular cross-section that is
substantially longer than its diameter;
3- There is no acceleration of fluid in the pipe.

The pressure drops than calculated by the Hagen – Poiseuille equation as;

The shear stress due to the viscosity is :

(Since du/dr < 0, τ is negative, i.e. leftward.) Thus :

Putting the pressure drop in length L as ∆p, the following equation is obtained :

( Hagen-Poiseuille formula )

Poiseuille Flow (1840) in a smooth circular tube

 r 4 p
q
8 L
Where q=v.A

Using this equation, the viscosity of liquid can be obtained by measuring the pressure
drop ∆p.

Carmin-Kozeny Equation
This equation is used to calculate the permeability in the packed bed (porous medium
and collection of curving tube) the grains are consolidated at the same sort and laminar
flow.

Relationship between porosity and permeability

Darcy’s Equation kA( P1  P2 )

q
L
 r 4 p
Poiseuille’s Equation (for one tube) q
8 L

Let our porous media be made of n parallel tubes

n r 4
Equating and solving for k k
8 Ac
V pore n r 2 L n r 2
  
Vbulk Ac L Ac

n r 2
Ac 

 Kozeny Eqn:

 r2
k
8
where r is radius of the tubes comprising the porous media and φ is the

conventional definition of porosity.

This suggests the permeability should be directly related to porosity and the

cross sectional area of the tubes.

Lets investigate other geometric parameters rather than r for the simple tube model

Specific surface area, Svp, (surface area/ unit pore volume) :

Asurf n 2 rL 2
Svp   
V pore n r 2 L r

4
r2 
Svp2

Specific surface area per unit grain volume, Svgr, (surface area/ unit grain

volume) : (where: Vb=Ac L)

Asurf n 2 rL 2n r
Svgr   
Vgrain Ac L(1   ) Ac (1   )
rewriting:

r2 n r 2  2 
2r  2 Svgr   
r Ac (1   )  r 

then

Svgr  Svp
(1   )
r2  r2  1 
k    2 
8 2 4  2S 
 vp 
 2
S 2
S 2

(1   ) 2
vgr vp

Carman_Kozeny Eqn:

 1  3
k  2 
 2Svgr  1    2
 
  1  3
k  2 
 K z Svgr  1    2
 

Influence of grain size on the relationship between porosity and permeability [Tiab & Donaldson,
1996]
Flow in Channels and Fractures Analogies to Darcy’s Law
• Channels and Fractures can add significantly to flow capacity
• Channels
1. Flow through constant diameter channel

Poiseuille's Equation for viscous flow through capillary tubes

A: Darcy's law for linear flow of liquids

assuming these flow equations have consistent units

Thus (the equivalent permeability)

Flow through fractures
Setting this flow equation equal to Darcy's flow equation,
where

Can be obtained

solve for permeability of a fracture (the equivalent permeability) :

– Stimulation by hydraulic fracturing

– Naturally fractured reservoirs
Matrix Blocks and Fractures
Relationship between t ,  f and ma in a dual porosity system

V pt V f  V pma
t  
Vbt Vbt

V pma
t   f 
Vbt

Vbma
t   f  ma
Vbt

 Vbt  V f 
t   f  ma  
 Vbt 

t   f  ma (1   f )

Example 1
A. Determine the permeability of a rock composed of closely packed capillaries
0.0001 inch in diameter.
B. If only 25 percent of the rock is pore channels (f = 0.25), what will the permeability
be?
Solution:
A. k = 20 x 109 d2
k = 20 x 109 (0.0001 in)2
k = 200 md

B. k = 0.25 (200 md)

k = 50 md
Example 2

Consider a rock of very low matrix permeability, 0.01 md, which contains on the
average a fracture 0.005 inches wide and one foot in lateral extent per square foot of
rock. Assuming the fracture is in the direction of flow, determine the average
permeability using the equation for parallel flow.

Solution: