Excitable Nanoparticles for Trapped Oil Mobilization

F.S De Abreu Soares et al. performed numerical analysis on the mobilization of residual oil
ganglia by the stresses generated in a ferrofluid. A pore-scale model which highlights the
dependence the mathematical dependence of wetting/nonwetting fluid interface shape is used.
Four parameters completely characterize the ganglion deformation and possible mobilization:
pore cross-section ratio, dimensionless volume, magnetic susceptibility of the ferrofluid, and
reative strength of magnetic over capillary effects.The level set functions were used to take into
account the complex shapes of pore space. The magnetic field calculation, as well as the
coupling between the magnetic field and the interface displacement were also taken into account.
The immersed interface method is applied for solving the magnetic field distribution.
Magnetic pressure depends locally on the magnetic field intensity and direction. It is influenced
by the pore geometry.
Immersed interface methodsolve the magnetic field distribution.
Challenges in simulating the motion of a ferrofluid phase in a reservoir at the pore-scale
1) The shape of the interface
2) The magnitude of magnetic stresses
3) Equilibrium configuration
Hydrodynamic problem and electromagnetic problem
Key mechanism for oil-trapping
Pore-scale modelspore doublet and snap-off pore(used in this simulation)
Mobilizing the oil requires a driving force sufficient to overcome the effect of capillary
forces.
Assumption-oil blob is completely nonwetting and ignore the development of advancing
the receding contact angle
Driving force- related to a pressure difference produced by viscous stresses actin on the
wetting fluid flow.
The difference between the capillary pressures acting on the blob interface is responsible
for resisting its displacement to an adjacent body
Goal of this modelevaluate how these magnetic stresses compare to the capillary stresses in
the given geometry

Elements considered:

Magnetic force per unit volume

Field intensity and the resulting bulk magnetization of the liquid carrier
The quantity =m/KT
Magnetic susceptibility =M/H decreases with increasing magnetic field(the constant
susceptibility approximation is valid and incorporated into the model)
Interaction between magnetization and the magnetic field distribution
Equilibrium equation (momentum conservation in the ferrofluid)
Pressure jump ( interfacial stresses induced by the ferrofluid magnetization and
interfacial tension)
Nm higher value of Nm means stronger magnetic effects compared to capillary effects
and ultimately potential for better oil mobilization

Numerical Modeling:
Level set functioninterface consists of a set of points with zero level of a level set function
Finite difference used for regular points
Irregular pointsjump conditions are employed
Level set methoddeal with time evolution of interfacesdynamic simulation process
(imposing volume conservation with the level set method)
Results:
Different magnetic field orientations: horizontal magnetic field stimulates blob stretching
and detachment from the walls while the vertical field induces small interface
displacements and tends to increase the contact length
Pressure distribution along the interface--pressure jump(1) initial configuration(2)
equilibrium configuration
Most of interface displacement is due to the pm distribution amplitude
Higher susceptibility, larger blob interface displacements. The amplitude of
dimensionless capillary pressure along the interface at the equilibrium has a stronger
dependence on susceptibility.

Questions:
1) The finite difference method is used to model the process. It just models the two
dimensional situation. This work can be extended to three dimensional simulation with
non-zero contact angles.
2) The author considers the Nm relative magnetic strength s influence on blob detachment.
Since Nm is combined parameter of magnetic field strength, curvature, and interfacial
tension. Can we just simulate these parameters separately?

Simulating the motion of a ferrofluid phase in a reservoir at the pore-scale.

The shape of the interface between the magnetic fluid and non-magnetic fluid is controlled by
the spatial distribution of magnetic stresses.