ECH155B – HUMG

TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM 2

Date: June 28th, 2020

To: Dr. Pham Trung Kien
From: Ly Truong Tung, Group 5, K6 student
Subject: RADIAL CAPILLARY PENETRATION INTO FIBROUS MEDIA
1. Executive Summary:
The rate of capillary penetration into fibrous media to determine the effective
permeability of the paper. Relative permeability and capillary pressures are very
important in crude oil extraction and reservoir engineering. In order to determine the
value of permeability, κ, and following up to find the contact angle of oleic acid with
air, θ. The values of β and permeability – κ for each fluid (at 25°C) show in Table.

Porous β (mm2.s-1) Permeability, κ (mm2)

paper
for each Coe. Error Frac. error Coe. Error Frac. error
fluid value value (%) value value (%)

Water_1 5.1153 0.1278 2.50 4.15E-11 1.73E-12 4.17

Water_2 5.1061 0.1457 2.85 4.14E-11 1.82E-12 4.39
Water_3 4.9626 0.1092 2.20 4.02E-11 1.61E-12 3.99
Oleic
acid_1 0.2241 0.0040 1.78 3.20E-11 1.21E-12 3.78
Oleic
acid_2 0.2235 0.0042 1.88 3.20E-11 1.22E-12 3.83
Oleic
acid_3 0.2165 0.0021 0.97 3.10E-11 1.07E-12 3.47
Motor
oil_1 0.0310 0.0006 1.94 3.74E-11 1.44E-12 3.85
Motor
oil_2 0.0301 0.0008 2.66 3.64E-11 1.55E-12 4.26
Motor
oil_3 0.0298 0.0009 3.02 3.60E-11 1.62E-12 4.50

2. Introduction and Purpose:

Reservoir engineers use relative permeability and capillary pressure
relationships for estimating the amount of oil and gas in a reservoir and for predicting
the capacity for flow of oil, water, and gas throughout the life of the reservoir.
Relative permeabilities and capillary pressure are complex functions of the structure
and chemistry of the fluids and solids in a producing reservoir. In this experiment, the
permeability of filter paper was found by the rate of capillary penetration into fibrous
media (that is the wicking velocity of liquid into filter paper) and applying the
equation of Darcy’s Law. There were 3 fluids (water, oleic acid, motor oil). Darcy's
Law is an equation that describes the flow of a fluid through a porous medium.

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3. Theory and Analysis:
Analogously to column draining, the velocity of the fluid in porous paper can
−κ∇P
be modeled with Darcy’s law: u = (Eq.2) where κ is the permeability of paper,
μ
µ is dynamic viscosity of fluid, ∇P is the pressure gradient. In a capillary tube shown
2γ cos θ
above the pressure difference is given by Pliq = Patm − (Eq.3)
a

where γ is the air/liquid

interfacial tension (g.s-2), a is the tube radius (mm), and θ is the contact angle of the
liquid/solid interface.
1 d dP
We have: Governing Equation:
r dr
(r dr ) = 0
2γ cos θ
Boundary Condition 1: Pliq = Patm − at r = R(t)
a
Boundary Condition 2: P = Patm at r = R 0
This differential equation can be solved to obtain the pressure as a function of
radial position. Then we have the result:
R 1 R20
R2 [ln − ]+ = β ∗ t (Eq.4)
R0 2 2
4κγ cos θ
where for convenience we dife β = .
aμ
When we did the experiment, we recorded the data of radius of circle in filter
paper (mm) and the corresponding time (second). Plotting the data, if the graph is
linear, the slope of this graph is β. So we can calculate the value of permeability by
using excel program

4. Results and Discussion:

Graph of radius (mm) as a function of time (s) for each fluid shown in Figure 1
below. Three fluids were done 3 times, their curves is similar overlap. The curve of
Water is the most bent. This proves that Water has the highest velocity of liquid into
paper in 3 fluid. Motor oil has the smallest slope, since it has the slowest velocity.
These curve aren’t linear, so velocity of 3 fluids are decreaseing over time.
If time is infinite, the fluid doesn’t spread around, the balance reached
equilibrium. In Fig.2, we see that oleic acid and motor oil can be reach to equilibrium.
The paper has an isotropic pore distribution. I see that there are circles on papers, not
ellipses.
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 35
Water 1
30 Water 2

25 Water 3

Oleic 1
RADIUS (MM)

20
Oleic 2
15
Oleic 3
10 Motor oil
2
5 Motor oil
3
0 Motor oil
1
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600
TIME (S)
FIGURE 1 : GRAPH OF RADIUS (MM) VS TIME (SECOND )

R 1 R20
Graph of R2 [ln − ]+ as a function of time for each fluid shown in
R0 2 2
Figure 2. Oleic acid line and Motor oil line have the straightest curve, so it maybe has
the smallest value of error. The curve of Water is the most bent. So they have the
highest value of β. The order of β-value of 3 fluids is: motor oil < oleic acid < water.
Because the order of dynamic viscosity of 3 fluids is: motor oil < oleic acid < water.

3500

3000
R^2[LN(R/R0-1/20]+R0^2/2

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600
-500
TIME (S)
Water 1 Water 2 Water 3
Oleic 1 Oleic 2 Oleic 3
Motor oil 2 Motor oil 3 Motor oil 1
Linear (Water 1) Linear (Water 2) Linear (Water 2)

𝐑 𝟏 𝐑𝟐𝟎
Figure 2 : Graph of 𝐑𝟐 [𝐥𝐧 − ]+ vs Time
𝐑𝟎 𝟐 𝟐

We have the value of β and permeability of each case below. We have the final
result of this memo, as shown in Table 1. The errors of β are quite small. This values

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are acceptable. The errors of permeability are quite large. Because we maybe do
experiment not well.
Table 1: The values of β and permeability – κ for each fluid (at 25°C).
Porous β (mm2.s-1) Permeability, κ (mm2)
paper
for each Coe. Error Frac. error Coe. Error Frac. error
fluid value value (%) value value (%)

Water_1 5.1153 0.1278 2.50 4.15E-11 1.73E-12 4.17

Water_2 5.1061 0.1457 2.85 4.14E-11 1.82E-12 4.39
Water_3 4.9626 0.1092 2.20 4.02E-11 1.61E-12 3.99
Oleic
acid_1 0.2241 0.0040 1.78 3.20E-11 1.21E-12 3.78
Oleic
acid_2 0.2235 0.0042 1.88 3.20E-11 1.22E-12 3.83
Oleic
acid_3 0.2165 0.0021 0.97 3.10E-11 1.07E-12 3.47
Motor oil_1 0.0310 0.0006 1.94 3.74E-11 1.44E-12 3.85
Motor oil_2 0.0301 0.0008 2.66 3.64E-11 1.55E-12 4.26
Motor oil_3 0.0298 0.0009 3.02 3.60E-11 1.62E-12 4.50

Conclusions and Recommendations:

We can determine the permeability of filter paper by using Eq.1. From the
result of this experiment, the Eq.1 is the good method to determine the permeability of
porous media.The advantages of this method are easy to do experiment. The error
comes from the person error (main reason) and instrumental error.

References:
1. Exp 2 Capillary Penetration Handout, from Dr. Pham Trung Kien
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viscosity

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Attachments and Appendices:
Attachment 1 – Experimental data for each fluid.

Oleic R T1 (s) T2 (s) T3 (s) Motor R T1 (s) T2 (s) T3 (s)

acid (mm) Oli (mm)
0.6 0 0 0 0.6 0 0 0
2 12 13 15
1 38 40 45
4 95 98 92
2 105 100 120
6 250 253 310
8 597 601 627 3 360 350 355
10 1026 1033 1063 4 705 700 710
5 1340 1380 1400

Water R(mm) T1 T2 T3
0.6 0 0 0
5 6 5 6
10 36 33 38
15 99 91.7 107
20 204 197 212
25 374 378 390
30 602 598.2 620

Attachment 2 – How to calculated permeability κ and error of κ of oleic acid.

4κγ cos θ βaμ
We have β = ⇔𝜅=
aμ 4γ cos θ

∂θ 2 2
The error of κ for each fluid is: σκ = √∑N
i=1 ( ) (σxi ) =
∂xi

∂κ 2 2 ∂κ 2
√( ) (σβ ) + ( ) (σa )2
∂β ∂a
∂κ aμ ∂κ βμ
where = and =
∂β 4γ cos θ ∂a 4γ cos θ

If we did multiple measurements of κ, but different error on values, the final result is:
∑ w i κi
κwav ± κwav where κwav = ⁄∑ w , κwav = 1⁄ , wi = 1⁄ 2
i √∑ wi σi

Attachment 3 – How to calculated contact angle θ and error of θ of oleic acid.

4κγ cos θ βaμ βaμ
We have β = ⇔ cos θ = ⇔ θ = cos −1 ( )
aμ 4κγ 4κγ

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The error of θ for each fluid is given by
N
∂θ 2 2 ∂θ 2 2 ∂θ 2 ∂θ 2
√
σθ = √∑ ( ) (σxi ) = ( ) (σβ ) + ( ) (σa ) + ( ) (σκ )2
2
∂xi ∂β ∂a ∂κ
i=1

∂θ aμ ∂θ βμ ∂θ aβμ
where =− a 2 β2 μ2
, =− a2β2 μ2
and = a2 β 2 μ 2
∂β ∂a ∂κ
4γκ√1− 4γκ√1− 4γκ2 √1−
16γ2 κ2 16γ2 κ2 16γ2 κ2

If we did multiple measurements of θ, but different error on values, the final result is:
∑ wi θi 1 1
θwav ± σwav where θwav = ⁄∑ w , σwav = , wi = 2
i √∑ wi σi

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