| dc.description.abstract | The focus of this thesis is specifically on the effect that ultrasonic waves have on the interface curvature and subsequent capillary pressure alterations within capillary tubes. In order to optimize current ultrasonic treatments as a means of remediating oilfield complications, such as condensate banking, the exact microphenomena must first be better understood. Many contributing phenomena have been proposed and attributed to observed increases in production during acoustic stimulation, but the focus here in on interface manipulation.
A mathematical model relating changes in curvature to capillary pressure is proposed, and the relationships therein were compared to simulations run using COMSOL Multiphysics®. It was found that under an external pressure gradient, acoustic frequencies increased the interface velocity by up to 18.75% with varying degrees of success under differing pressure gradients. Furthermore, the effective frequency range for a 1.5 µm pore was found to be approximately 750 MHz to 6,000 MHz, and the maximum benefit was observed when a frequency of around 1,800 MHz was applied. In terms of optimizing acoustic treatments, these exceedingly high acoustic frequencies may suggest that other mechanisms should be explored as the main contributors to observed increases in flow. | en_US |
