Saffman Taylor Instability In Microgravity

Paper number

IAC-07-A2.3.09

Author

Ms. Yngvild Linnea Andalsvik, University of Oslo, Norway

Coauthor

Ms. Gunhild Storhaug, University of Oslo, Norway

Coauthor

Ms. Kosovare Olluri, Norway

Coauthor

Mr. Arvid Skaugen, University of Oslo, Norway

Coauthor

Prof. Torfinn Lindem, University of Oslo, Norway

Coauthor

Dr. Grunde Løvoll, University of Oslo, Norway

Coauthor

Year

2007

Abstract

We report on experiments performed in microgravity during ESA Student Parabolic 
Flight Campaign 2006, investigating the effects of Viscous Fingering in 
Porous Media during microgravity and fragmentation during varying g.

Saffman Taylor instability (Viscous Fingering instability)  
is the instability that takes place when a low viscous fluid is 
injected into a high viscous fluid. 
Gas displacing a high viscosity fluid without being affected by gravity 
results in fingers of air spreading through the porous medium. 
These fractal fingers can answer fundamental questions about the properties 
of complex systems as well as contribute to increasing oil recovery from 
reservoirs. 

We consider 
the situation when a non-wetting fluid (air) is injected into a porous medium initially saturated with a 
wetting fluid 
(dibutylphtalat). Viscous fingering appears in the regime where the viscous 
forces dominate over the capillary forces. 

The effect of buoyancy will in general introduce fragmentation of the viscous 
fingering cluster. To prevent fragmentation it is 
therefore of great interest to perform experiments without buoyancy. On the 
other hand it is also important to understand the fragmentation process, 
because fragmentation leads to smaller air clusters that are more easily 
trapped in the porous medium.
 

The experiment consisted of a cylinder filled with small 
granules of Plexiglas and a viscous liquid. The granules and the liquid  
had matched index of refraction, so that we were able to see into the
interior of the cylinder.
We withdraw liquid from one end of the cylinder, while letting in air 
at the other end. The pump was stopped at the end of the 
parabola. We then observed the evolution of the pattern as it experienced 
varying magnitudes of the gravitational field. 

Abstract document

IAC-07-A2.3.09.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-07-A2.3.09.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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