The core flooding device is used to perform accurate flow measurements with the poromechanical response of porous rock. The rock specimen is placed in between two pore pressure platens and then inside a viton rubber sleeve, isolating the pore and confining fluids. This sleeve is located inside a horizontally positioned steel core holder. Silicon oil is pumped into the space between the core holder and the rubber sleeve to apply the confining pressure on the rock sample. Consequently, pore pressure is applied at the upstream and downstream to simulate the target in-situ condition. Two pressure transducers are installed at both upstream and downstream to measure the pore pressure even at undrained boundary conditions.

 

Applications:

• CO2 treatment can be conducted by injecting CO2 from the input with the pore fluid, and the absolute/relative permeability of water and CO2 can be measured. The relative permeability curve for reservoir/caprock material can be determined with the maximum degree of saturation of CO2/H2O.

 

• By controlling the confining pressure, the stress-dependent permeability and Skempton’s B coefficient can be measured.

 

• With heating devices for the core holder and the pore fluid, thermal loading can be applied to investigate the thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling behavior of reservoir and caprock materials. The thermal effect on the permeability and poromechanical properties of rock can be investigated.