HR: 0830h
AN: T41D-0264    [PDF]
TI: Predicting Macroscale Physical Properties Using Microscale Image Data
AU: * Fredrich, J T
EM: fredrich@sandia.gov
AF: Sandia National Laboratories, MS 0750, Albuquerque, NM 87185-0750 United States
AB: Geologic materials, including tight crystalline rocks, shales, and weakly consolidated sandstones and limestones, exhibit geometrically complex microscale structures that control physical and mechanical properties at the macroscale. The past decade has seen remarkable development of several new techniques that enable high-resolution three-dimensional imaging of the pore structure of complex geomaterials. This, coupled with advances in numerical simulation methods, computer hardware, and development of fast computer architectures, provides unprecedented opportunities for the prediction of bulk physical and/or mechanical properties directly from microscale image data. We present data obtained using the two highest fidelity methods for 3D imaging, synchrotron computed microtomography and laser scanning microscopy, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages that each method presents in the specific context of microscale imaging and subsequent use of 3D image data in numerical simulations. We also contrast the application of these modern techniques with conventional serial sectioning techniques. We directly apply the image data in massively parallel numerical simulations of single phase fluid flow. Using data obtained for several natural and synthetic sandstones at a range of resolutions and encompassing different solid volumes, we explore fundamental issues related to representative volumes and length scales necessary to characterize geometrically complex porous media and enable accurate prediction of physical properties at the macroscale. This work was performed at Sandia National Laboratories funded by the US DOE under Contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. Sandia is a multiprogam laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy.
DE: 5112 Microstructure
DE: 5114 Permeability and porosity
DE: 5194 Instruments and techniques
SC: Tectonophysics [T]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting