Parametric Analysis of Capillary Flow in Dual-Layer Porous Media: Implications for Energy and Environmental Applications

Parametric Analysis of Capillary Flow in Dual-Layer Porous Media: Implications for Energy and Environmental Applications | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Parametric Analysis of Capillary Flow in Dual-Layer Porous Media: Implications for Energy and Environmental Applications Akshit Agarwal, Krishna Raghav Chaturvedi, Somnath Ghosh, Jyoti Phirani This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8345094/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The capillary-driven flow in homogeneous porous media typically follows the dif- fusive behavior described by Washburn’s law. However, in heterogeneous porous systems—ranging from 3-Dimensional (3-D) paper-based microfluidic devices to layered petroleum reservoirs—this law fails to explain capillary-controlled dis- placement adequately. In this study, we demonstrate that at the Darcy scale, the existing analytical solutions for spontaneous imbibition in homogeneous media do not capture the full physics across varying wetting conditions. We also look into how various layer characteristics in a two-layered medium impact interlayer cross-flow and alter flow behavior as a result. Specifically, we employ a Darcy scale numerical model that includes capillary pressure (Pc) - saturation (Sw) curves, relative permeability (kr), and permeability (k) as flow parameters inside the layers of the porous medium. The findings show that, contrary to previous assumptions, cross-flow between the layers is not limited to the area close to the imbibition front. By comparing imbibition in the interacting and non-interacting porous layers, we demonstrate that (a) variations in porosity lead to cross-flow, which causes the layers’ saturation profiles to converge to the saturation profile seen in an averaged porous medium, and (b) when porosity and capillary pres- sure are correlated, the high porosity layer displays the leading front, (c) when porosity and permeability are correlated, the flow is dominated due to the per- meability of the layers; the interaction in layers causes the fronts to come closer, (d) when porosity, permeability and capillary pressure are correlated, a contrast- ing behavior is observed where the fluid front leads in the low permeability layer except near the front, and (e) when different wetting porous layers interact, the cross-flow causes the front in both layers to coincide at same location. These findings provide information for creating a novel model that forecasts the general course of capillary driven flow in multilayer porous media. Capillary driven flow Spontaneous imbibition Wettability Cross flow Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8345094","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":564575451,"identity":"fd8745b9-c9cb-4ad9-af8d-93b79aa96d57","order_by":0,"name":"Akshit Agarwal","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Indian Institute of Technology Delhi","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Akshit","middleName":"","lastName":"Agarwal","suffix":""},{"id":564575452,"identity":"1f0f9b8c-7d66-4dc4-a82e-00b05f3f27d3","order_by":1,"name":"Krishna Raghav Chaturvedi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Krishna","middleName":"Raghav","lastName":"Chaturvedi","suffix":""},{"id":564575455,"identity":"8cfe447e-9187-4bf0-b1af-e48f113a0f3c","order_by":2,"name":"Somnath Ghosh","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Indian Institute of Technology Delhi","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Somnath","middleName":"","lastName":"Ghosh","suffix":""},{"id":564575458,"identity":"c170078a-d21f-4eb4-ba90-9fb79ca105cc","order_by":3,"name":"Jyoti Phirani","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"Baker Hughes (United Kingdom)","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jyoti","middleName":"","lastName":"Phirani","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-12-12 11:08:46","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8345094/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8345094/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":98954233,"identity":"4db09551-e660-47a5-8655-e288f7a32d5a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-24 14:47:11","extension":"json","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":6680,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"a1e4d5ed5a0e421498403a8437ecf1a9.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8345094/v1/bb8a10d4f78fee2bce113367.json"},{"id":101341107,"identity":"681faf6b-004f-484a-aead-010433d9f062","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-28 16:11:23","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":4053883,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"AgarwaletalTransportinPorousMediaParametricAnalysisofCapillaryFlowResubmittedVersion.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8345094/v1_covered_b63071f6-de1e-4aa4-ba8a-7fa7c50424c4.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Parametric Analysis of Capillary Flow in Dual-Layer Porous Media: Implications for Energy and Environmental Applications","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Capillary driven flow, Spontaneous imbibition, Wettability, Cross flow","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8345094/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8345094/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"The capillary-driven flow in homogeneous porous media typically follows the dif- fusive behavior described by Washburn’s law. 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