AN ANALYTIC SOLUTION OF INSTABILITY PHENOMENON

ARISING IN FLUID FLOW THROUGH HOMOGENOUS POROUS

MEDIA

M. S. Joshi1, N. B. Desai2, and M. N. Mehta3

1
Head, Department of Mathematics, C. K. Pithawalla college of Engineering & Technology,
Surat-395007, India
Email: mitesh_joshi2003@yahoo.com
2
Head, Department of Mathematics, A. D. Patel Institute of Technology, New V. V. Nagar-
388121, India
Email: drnbdesai@yahoo.co.in
3
Professor, Department of Mathematics, S. V. National Institute of Technology, Surat-395007,
India
Email: mnm@ashd.svnit.ac.in

Received 22 April 2010; accepted 12 September 2010

ABSTRACT

The present paper analytically discusses the phenomena of flow of two immiscible liquids
through homogeneous porous media with capillary mean pressure by employing a product
method. The problem has great importance in petroleum technology. The underlying basic
assumption made in the present analysis is that the individual pressure of the two flowing
phases may be replaced by their common mean pressure. The mathematical formulation leads
to a nonlinear differential equation which is in the form of Boussinesq’s equation. A formal
mathematical solution of the later has been obtained in terms transcendental functions.

Keywords: Instability phenomena, Boussinesq‟s equation.

1 INTRODUCTION

The phenomenon of fingering (Instabilities) occurs during the displacement process of two
immiscible fluids through homogenous porous media. Viscous fingering (Instability
phenomenon) arises due to destabilisations of the interface of two fluids of different
viscosities. This destabilised interface results in a complex mixing of two fluids in a pattern
that resembles fingers. This type of instability can be found in many practical situations.

Instability can be found in chromatographic separation system when the solvents used in each
of the separation have seemingly similar chemical and physical properties other than
viscosities. Due to viscosity difference of two solvents such as acetonotrile and methanol
viscous fingering destabilised at their common interface. In coupled chromatographic system,
the volume of solvent flows from one separate dimension to the second due to injection of
volume of different magnitude. Another example where instability can be observed is the oil
recovery procedure that takes place in oil reservoirs. In oil recovery technology it is common

Int. J. of Appl. Math and Mech. 6 (16): 93-102, 2010.