Numerical Simulation of Particle Retention Mechanisms at the Sub-Pore Scale

The evolution of pore structure caused by particle retention is a function of heterogeneity and nonlinear coupling of particle transport and fluid flow. Pore-scale modelling enables us to elucidate the role of various mechanisms controlling particle transport and deposition. This study incorporated the Eulerian–Lagrangian approach to investigate the spatial and temporal deposition of particles using a benchmark data set for an artificial column made of glass beads for validation. The velocity field and trajectory of particles were determined by solving the Navier–Stokes and momentum balance equations. When the mean diameter of particles is smaller than the image voxel size, several particles are required to occupy a pore voxel. Particles with low velocity that cannot escape from the adhesion forces of surfaces are considered as deposited. The solid volume fraction of pore voxels adjacent to solid voxels changes dynamically through particle deposition. The role of surface deposition and clogging mechanisms during various experimental simulation scenarios was analysed using an image-based technique. Mean injection velocity, particle size, surface adhesion forces, and surface roughness are considered as sensitivity parameters. The results show that the clogging mechanism was responsible for the structure permeability impairment rather than the surface deposition, when particle size and surface adhesion forces increased. However, the clogging mechanism did not affect permeability when surface roughness increased. Particle retention shows a maximum value around a critical velocity where the spatial particle retention switched from filter cake development to homogenous retention.